Extinction
by Twisterheart
Summary: It's been a year and six moons since the Clans settled down at the gorge, and life couldn't be better. However, on the night of a blue moon, an earthquake happens, wiping out half of the Clan's population. Will the survivors be able to keep the Clans alive, or will this be the end of Warriors as we know it? Sequel to my story, 'Rising Storm'.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Dead leaves crunched underpaw as Thunder pushed his way through the undergrowth. As he walked, a chilly wind ruffled his ginger fur, causing him to shiver.

Once again, StarClan was stuck in a permanent leaf-bare, however this time there was no known reason behind it. The Dark Forest had long been defeated, so what would possibly cause this once-lush paradise to turn into such a wasteland? More importantly, when would things return back to normal?

 _I want to go home,_ Thunder thought sadly. Ever since StarClan's territory had been trapped in an eternal leaf-bare, he and the other Clan founders had been banished to the farthest corner of the territory. They weren't allowed back until things had returned back to normal, which frustrated Thunder. _We don't control StarClan, so how do they expect us to fix this?_

Sighing, the large ginger tom pushed the thought away. As he approached his den, he could see the other founders all laying outside, basking in the weak sunlight.

"Hey," Clear Sky greeted halfheartedly.

Thunder dipped his head towards his father, before padding over to the pitifully small fresh-kill pile. As he bent his head to pick up a vole, Wind Runner intercepted him.

"Absolutely not!" the wiry brown she-cat snapped. "That prey is for cats who actually manage to bring something back."

Barring his teeth in a snarl, Thunder retorted, "I'll eat if I want to!"

"Rules are rules, Thunder. Until you bring prey back to the den, you can't eat," River Ripple mewed, his eyes full of sympathy.

"Come here, Thunder. You can have a bite of this thrush," Clear Sky called, signalling for his son to come over.

Giving his father a thankful look, Thunder hurried over to where the pale gray tom sat, before taking a bite out of the skinny bird. As he chewed, he could hear Wind Runner snort in disgust.

"Do you have a problem?" Clear Sky asked, his neck fur starting to bristle.

Wind Runner nodded, glaring. "Thunder needs to follow the rules just like the rest of us. Just because he's your son doesn't mean he deserves special treatment!"

"'Special Treatment'? Are you kidding me? Gorsestar and Mothflight sneak you extra prey all the time!" Thunder growled, swallowing the last bit of the thrush.

"They've done no such thing!" Wind Runner hissed, her tail thrashing back and forth wildly. As Thunder stared at her, he could see she was bunching her muscles for an attack.

"Stop!" a loud voice screeched, making the four cats jump.

Looking over, Thunder spotted Tall Shadow padding out of the undergrowth. As ShadowClan's founder padded towards the group, her green eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "If we are to stop this leaf-bare, we have to work together as a team. Fighting will get us no where," she said.

"How will we stop this leaf-bare, though?" Clear Sky spoke up.

Tall Shadow shrugged. "I don't know, but we must continue to try."

Suddenly, Wind Runner toppled to the ground, her entire body twitching madly.

Quick as lightning, Thunder raced towards the brown she-cat's side. A worm of anxiety crawled in his belly as he stared down at Wind Runner, and he just knew something was not right. Looking at River Ripple he asked, "What's wrong with her?"

The silky gray tom simply shrugged. "I don't know, Thunder."

For the next ten minutes, the four cats stood over Wind Runner's body, waiting for her to sit up or stop moving all together. To their relief, Wind Runner sprang up, coughing. Despite being okay, the wiry brown she-cat had a haunted look on her face, and her entire body shook. "T-They're coming," she rasped, struggling for breath.

"Who's coming?" Tall Shadow demanded, looking confused.

"What are you talking about?" Thunder asked.

As Wind Runner opened her mouth to speak, a gigantic bolt of lightning split across the sky. The force of the lightning was so strong that Thunder and the other founders were thrown to the ground, knocking the breath out of them.

As Thunder struggled to his paws, a loud rumbling sound alerted him. Looking up, he realized that many cats were pouring into StarClan all at once, more cats than ever. A look of pure horror spread across his face as he realized all of these cats had just died. "What happened?!" Thunder screeched, looking at Wind Runner.

"T-the connection between StarClan and the living Clan's has just been cut off, and I'm afraid there's nothing we can do to fix it!"


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A gentle breeze rustled the nursery wall, causing a few loose leaves to blow away. As the leaves tumbled along the ground, a fluffy black she-kit pawed at them, hoping they would get her mind off the fact that she wasn't becoming an apprentice today.

After a few minutes of playing with the leaves, she lost interest and headed over to her mother's side. Plopping down, she let out a loud sigh.

"Viperkit, cheer up! You'll be an apprentice before you know it," her mother said, licking her on the head.

"I want to be an apprentice _now_ ," Viperkit whined. "Besides, I'm only one moon younger than Cedarkit, Pantherkit and Flurrykit." Viperkit glanced over at her denmates who were being smoothed in licks by their mother, Leafpool.

"I know, little one. But the warrior code says-"

"I know what the warrior code says," she interrupted.

Amberclaw gave her daughter a sympathetic look before nudging her to her paws. "Come on, little one. It's time for the ceremony."

"I don't want to go," Viperkit mewed quietly, sitting back down. Glancing at her denmates, she tried to hide her jealousy.

"You're coming," Amberclaw replied sharply, once again nudging her daughter up.

Sighing, Viperkit slowly followed her mother into the clearing, before taking a seat directly outside the nursery. Since she wasn't six moons old yet, she was permitted to sit with the rest of the Clan.

As the Clan waited for Bramblestar to start the ceremony, Viperkit glanced around for her father, Spiderleg.

 _There!_ The black-and-brown tom was weaving his way through the crowd, making his way towards her. Once he approached, he quickly nuzzled Viperkit before taking a seat next to her. Purring, Viperkit entwined her tiny tail with her father's, and glanced up at him. As she opened her mouth to speak, she was shushed by both of her parents.

"The ceremony is about to start," Amberclaw warned, flicking her tail towards Bramblestar's den.

Viperkit turned her head, trying to see past the crowd of cats who had appeared in front of her. Realizing her efforts were useless, she slumped down and huffed. _I didn't want to see the ceremony anyways,_ she thought irritably.

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught her attention, and Viperkit looked over to see Pantherkit padding towards the bramble barrier with his father, Crowfeather, at his side.

Poking her father's side she asked, "Where is Crowfeather taking him?"

"Pantherkit is going to train in WindClan," Spiderleg replied, looking over at the WindClan deputy.

Viperkit's yellow eyes widened in confusion. "What? Why? He's a ThunderClan cat!"

"He's half-WindClan," Amberclaw reminded her daughter, "meaning he has the right to train in his father's Clan if he wants to. Don't worry, Viperkit. You'll still be able to train with him, if that's what you're worried about." The pale ginger she-cat bent down her head to give Viperkit another lick.

Viperkit tried to hide her disappointment as she watched Pantherkit follow his father out of camp.

Suddenly, the clearing erupted in cheers, alerting Viperkit. "Flurrypaw! Cedarpaw! Flurrypaw! Cedarpaw!"

Confused, Viperkit turned to her parents and asked, "What happened?"

"Flurrypaw and Cedarpaw were made apprentices. Their mentors are Dovewing and Dewfrost," Amberclaw informed her, wrapping her tail around her daughter.

"Honestly, Viperkit! You need to pay more attention," her father meowed sharply, an annoyed look plastered across his face.

Hurt by her father's harsh remark, Viperkit flattened her ears to her head. "Sorry," she whispered, pulling her tail away from his. Not wanting to annoy her father any further, Viperkit quietly slipped back into the nursery, before settling down in her nest.

"What's wrong?" Daisy asked, looking concerned.

"It's nothing." Viperkit gave the cream colored she-cat a fake smile. Glancing at Daisy's swollen belly she asked, "When will your kits be here?"

"Any day now," Daisy answered, purring.

Viperkit let out a tiny purr, glad to know she wasn't going to be alone in the nursery. "Do you have any names picked out?" she wondered.

Daisy shook her head. "Bouncefire and I have decided we're going to wait until they're born to give them names."

"Why?"

"That way we can give them names according to their appearances," the queen replied, extending her legs in a stretch.

Viperkit gave her a confused look, before asking, "Do you have to?" _I hope I'm not annoying Daisy with all of these questions._

Daisy shook her head. "No." The cream colored queen turned away from Viperkit in order to groom.

As Viperkit watched her, Amberclaw poked her head into the nursery. "There you are!" her mother sighed, looking a little annoyed. "We're going down to the gorge for the full-moon meal, and Bramblestar said you could come."

Viperkit's eyes widened. "Really?" she squeaked, bouncing on her paws.

Amberclaw nodded, before padding out of the den. Fueled by excitement, Viperkit raced after her mother, before skidding to a halt. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calmly walk towards the camp entrance. _I need to seem as mature as possible._ _That way, Bramblestar will know I'm worthy of becoming an apprentice._

As she walked, she felt the presence of a cat behind her. Turning around, she saw her older cousin, Stonepaw, walking behind her. "Hey," she mewed, waving her tail in greeting.

Stonepaw quickly glanced around at the other cats, before giving her a curt nod. "What's up?" While Stonepaw was a nice cat, he was always distant and cold to Viperkit, which slightly disappointed her.

"Oh, nothing." Viperkit shrugged, before squeezing out of the camp entrance. On the other side stood a gigantic forest, which was buzzing with life.

"I'm guessing this is your first time out of camp?" Stonepaw mused, cracking a small smile.

She nodded happily. "Yes, and it's amazing!" _I want to become an apprentice even more now! Oh, Flurrypaw and Cedarpaw are so lucky!_

For the next couple of minutes, Stonepaw and Viperkit quietly chatted among themselves. Suddenly, their conversation was cut off by a booming voice. "Stonepaw!" Turning around, the two young cats saw Stonepaw's father, Dewfrost, standing there. The gray-and-white tom had an angry expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" Viperkit squeaked, confused as to why her uncle would appear so angry. Perhaps Stonepaw got in trouble during one of his training sessions?

"You know what I told you," Dewfrost meowed ominously, which confused Viperkit even more. Scared by her uncle's anger, she didn't stick around to find out what he was talking about. Sticking her tail between her legs, she scurried over to her mother.

As she squeezed between her mother's legs, Amberclaw let out a squeak of alarm. "Oh, Viperkit! You nearly tripped me up." Upon noticing her daughter's scared expression she asked, "What happened, little one? Is everything all right?"

 _Should I tell her?_ The tiny black she-cat glanced back at her uncle, who shot her an angry glare.

Amberclaw seemed to catch the glare as well, for she muttered, "I'll talk to him later. For now, don't pay any attention to Dewfrost. He's just bad tempered is all."

For the rest of the walk, Viperkit didn't bother to speak. Every time her mother meowed something to her, she'd just shrug it off or pretend not to notice. By the time they reached the top of the gorge, she was worn out.

Wishing she was still little enough to carry, Viperkit trudged down the steep slope after her parents. With each step she took, the red rocks stabbed into her paw pads, making her wince. Finally, they reached the bottom and she was able to settle down in a soft patch of grass.

"What do you want to eat?" Amberclaw asked.

"I'll take a vole," she replied, licking her aching paws.

Her mother nodded, before trotting towards the large fresh-kill pile. On the night of the full moon, the Clans held a special feast, in which the five of them would gather at the bottom of the gorge to share tongues and gossip with one another. However, the most special of news wouldn't be shared until later that night at the actual Gathering.

As Viperkit cleaned her sore paws, she could feel the gaze of several cats burning into her pelt. Glancing up, she saw several cats whom she did not recognize. Realizing they were talking about her, she pricked her ears in hopes of hearing.

Sadly, she was not able to make sense of what they were saying, however she had a pretty good feeling as to what it was about.

Her parents.

While Amberclaw and Spiderleg had waited as long as possible to start their relationship, they were still criticized daily for becoming mates. Every time the two were out together, they received dirty glares from the unaccepting cats, however they tried their best to ignore it. The criticism was the worst when it came to Viperkit, as many cats viewed her birth as something that should not have happened. While Amberclaw and Spiderleg did their best to shield their daughter from those harsh words, it still managed to reach her ears.

Sighing, Viperkit tried to not let it get the best of her. _They don't know anything_ , she thought angrily, blinking back tears.

"Here – hey, are you crying?" Amberclaw dropped the vole onto the ground, before rushing over to her daughter's side. Rubbing her paw along Viperkit's back she asked, "Was someone being mean to you?"

Viperkit shrugged, unsure of what to say. "I guess," she finally whispered.

"Who?"

"I don't know who they were. They belonged to one of the other Clans..." Viperkit trailed off, not wanting to elaborate more.

"What did they say to you?" her mother pressed, a hint of anger in her voice.

Viperkit shuffled her paws on the ground. "Well... they didn't say it to my face, but I could see them pointing at me before talking in a hushed tone. I couldn't hear the whole conversation, but I know that they were talking about..." she broke off, not wanting to continue.

"About me and your father?" Amberclaw guessed.

She nodded.

Sighing, Amberclaw pushed the vole to her daughter before standing to her paws. "I'll be right back," she hissed, before heading over to Spiderleg.

Viperkit pushed the vole away, not feeling hungry anymore. She slowly glanced over at her parents, who seemed to be bickering.

"I knew we shouldn't have brought her here," Amberclaw growled, looking upset.

"She's going to have to face it some day," Spiderleg argued, however Viperkit knew her father was equally upset.

"One day when she's _older_." Her mother paused, before sitting down onto the ground. For the next few minutes, both of her parents were quiet. "We should just take her back to camp," her mother finally meowed. Glancing at Spiderleg's squirrel she added, "Hurry up and eat, and then we'll go."

Viperkit sniffled as she watched her parents.

Together, Spiderleg and Amberclaw slowly padded over to their daughter, where they sat in silence. Finally Spiderleg draped his tail across his daughter's back before whispering, "I'm sorry."

Viperkit pulled away. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Silence.

"Er... are you done with your squirrel?" Amberclaw coughed awkwardly, averting her gaze from her mate.

"No, but I'll take the rest back to camp." Spiderleg picked up the remains of his squirrel along with the uneaten vole, and padded up the steep slope.

Viperkit slowly followed after her parents, feeling bad. Even though her parents had told her several times before that this wasn't her fault, the tiny she-kit still couldn't help but feel responsible.

Once they arrived at camp, Amberclaw turned to Viperkit and ordered, "Stay out here for a second. I need to talk to Daisy about something."

Viperkit nodded, and sat down outside of the nursery. There, she glanced at her father, who still looked upset. She then glanced at the apprentices den, where she could hear the Clan's three apprentices chatting happily. _I wish I could be in there with them,_ she thought sadly.

Finally, the nursery entrance rustled and Amberclaw padded out. "Your father and I are going to go hunting, so Daisy and Lilyheart are going to watch you. Please be good, and just remember that we'll be back soon!" Giving her daughter a smile, Amberclaw turned and padded out of the camp.

Sighing, Viperkit padded into the nursery. There, Daisy and Lilyheart were both quietly talking among themselves.

"Hello, Viperkit! Why such the long face?" Lilyheart greeted warmly.

She shrugged before settling down in her nest. "It's a long story," she whispered, unsure whether or not she should tell the two concerned queens what was on her mind.

"Is it about your parents?" Lilyheart questioned.

The black she-kit shuffled her paws on the ground, unsure if she should answer the question.

"You don't have to tell us," Daisy reassured her, "but just know Lilyheart and I are here if you ever need us. If you have something you want to talk about, you can tell us anytime, okay?"

Viperkit sniffled, glad for the older queen's comfort. "It's kind of about my parents," she confessed. "I'm worried they won't like me anymore because of what some mean cats are saying."

Daisy and Lilyheart exchanged glances, and Viperkit could tell they were all too familiar with what the mean cats had been saying. Finally Daisy meowed, "Your parents love you very much, Viperkit. Don't ever think that they'd stop loving you, because they won't. Daisy shifted her position so that Viperkit could come lay down next to her.

Grateful for Daisy, Viperkit scurried over to the queen's side, before curling up and falling asleep.

When Viperkit woke up, her mother still wasn't back. As Viperkit stood up to stretch, a stinging pain shot through her paw pads, causing her to wince. "I need to visit the medicine cat's den," she mewed, holding up a cracked and bleeding paw.

"Do you need help?" Lilyheart asked, looking up from her nest.

She shook her head. "No, I'll be okay. I promise I'll be back soon." As best as she could, the young she-kit hobbled over to the medicine cat's den. Right as she was about to walk into the den, a scream split the air.

Viperkit immediately flattened herself to the ground, before glancing into the den.

Leafpool was standing in the center of the den, looking absolutely terrified. At her paws lay a scattered pile of scarlet berries. "Jayfeather!" Leafpool screeched, beckoning for her son to come.

"What?" Jayfeather questioned, looking spooked by Leafpool's sudden outburst.

"These aren't juniper berries... these are _death_ berries!" The brown tabby she-cat carefully scooped up the death berries, before wrapping them in a leaf bundle.

Jayfeather's blind blue eyes widened. "D-Death berries?" he choked. "But how would death berries get into our herb supply?"

"It's an omen from StarClan," Leafpool replied in a low tone. "Death is upon is."

* * *

 **Thank you for all of the reviews I've received so far!**

 **I know things seem a little hopeless in this chapter, but I promise things will get better for Viperkit and her family later on. And even though we haven't been introduced to Cedarpaw and Flurrypaw, how do you think they'll feel about their brother leaving for WindClan? Do you think they'll be accepting considering the fact borders don't exist, or do you think they'll have a hard time adjusting to things without Pantherpaw?**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Excitement bubbled inside Pantherkit as he followed his father towards WindClan's camp. While he would always miss his family back in ThunderClan, the moorland was where he truly belonged.

"What is WindClan like?" Pantherkit questioned.

"Our territory is very open-"

"No, I mean what are the cats like. Are they nice? Mean? Cranky? What?" he wondered.

Crowfeather was quiet for a few minutes. "It's not all that different from ThunderClan, I suppose. Some cats are nice, while others... not so much. I'm sure you'll get along in the Clan just fine," his father replied.

Pantherkit nodded.

For the rest of the walk, neither of them spoke. Pantherkit was too excited to speak, while Crowfeather was lost in thought. Finally the two of them reached the edge of the woods, before padding out onto the moors.

"Wow!" the dark gray kit exclaimed, running out into the tall grass.

"It's great, isn't it?" Crowfeather smiled at his son. Noticing his son was straying a bit, Crowfeather beckoned him over with his tail. "Stay by my side. There are rabbit burrows all over, and you could easily fall into one and injure yourself. Not to mention, snakes are out this time of year."

Pantherkit's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he obediently rushed back over to his father's side. Together, the two dark gray toms walked in silence towards WindClan's camp. As they walked, the scorching sun burned into Pantherkit's back, causing him to grow uncomfortable.

Finally, they reached the edge of WindClan's camp which was located in a sandy dip in the ground, surrounded by small bushes and tall grass.

Peering through the tall grass that surrounded the sandy clearing, Pantherkit could see a large group of WindClan cats had gathered to welcome him. Gulping, he followed his father through the sea of cats, before sitting down in front of a large boulder that stood in the center of the clearing.

As he waited for WindClan's leader, a group of two young she-cats walked up to him.

"You must be Crowfeather's son, right?" a slim tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat meowed, her amber eyes gleaming.

 _She's beautiful,_ Pantherkit thought. Realizing he was staring he blurted, "Er... yes! My name is Pantherkit." Embarrassed, he looked down at his paws.

The she-cat seemed not to notice for she replied, "My name is Webpaw. I can't wait to start training with you, Pantherkit. I'm sure you'll be a great apprentice. Oh, and just so you know, Graypaw and I have already made you a nest." Webpaw glanced over at the tiny pale gray she-cat who stood behind her, and Pantherkit immediately guessed that was Graypaw.

Graypaw licked her lips nervously, before ducking her head shyly. Finally she mustered up enough courage to introduce herself, but a dark ginger tom cut her off before she could say anything.

"Go sit down, you two. The ceremony is about to start," the ginger tom meowed, nudging them away.

"Okay, Crouchfoot," Graypaw muttered. As she walked away, she called out, "Bye, Pantherkit!"

Pantherkit watched them go, before nervously turning to look back up at the large boulder. As he waited for WindClan's leader to appear, he sat there and wondered what his life in WindClan would be like.

Finally, a tiny white she-cat leaped up onto the boulder and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to chase rabbits gather around the Tall Boulder for a Clan meeting!"

 _The entire Clan hasn't gathered yet?_ Pantherkit thought. Looking behind his shoulder, he realizing a few more cats were pouring out of the dens, before fixing their gazes on him. _How big is this Clan?!_ Gulping nervously, Pantherkit averted his gaze back to WindClan's leader.

"Today Crowfeather's son, Pantherkit, has reached six moons of age, meaning it is time for him to become an apprentice." Leaping down from the Tall Boulder, the WindClan leader padded up to Pantherkit before meowing, "Pantherkit, you have reached six moons of age, meaning it is time for you to become an apprentice. Until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Pantherpaw. Your mentor will be Elmclaw, and I hope he can pass everything that he knows on to you."

As the leader spoke, Pantherpaw felt a second presence come up from behind him. Looking back, he saw that a large gray tom with white paws had padded up to join him. _I'm guessing that's Elmclaw,_ he thought.

"I promise I'll do my best, Whitestar," Elmclaw meowed. Turning to his new apprentice the gray tom whispered, "Touch noses with me."

Turning around, Pantherpaw quickly touched noses with his new mentor.

"Pantherpaw! Pantherpaw! Pantherpaw!" the WindClan cats cheered.

When the cheering had died down, Elmclaw beckoned for Pantherpaw to follow him.

"Where are we going?" Pantherpaw asked, trotting after his mentor.

"I'm going to show you around our territory," Elmclaw explained.

As the two of them were about to head out of camp, Whitestar yowled, "Wait! I would like to accompany you."

Elmclaw dipped his head, and together the three cats pushed their way into the tall grass. As they walked, Pantherpaw turned to his new leader and asked, "How come you wanted to tag along?" He then bit his tongue, hoping he hadn't sounded rude.

"I wanted to help you adjust to WindClan life," Whitestar responded, looking slightly hurt.

"Sorry. I didn't mean for it to come off so rude," he apologized, looking down at his paws.

"Don't worry about it so much. I said a lot of stuff I shouldn't have when I first joined the Clan," Elmclaw spoke up.

Pantherpaw blinked up at his mentor, confused. "You're half-Clan too?"

His mentor shook his head. "Rogue, actually. I found it really hard to adjust to Clan life after living by my own rules for so long. Not to mention, it was really overwhelming being surrounded by so many cats."

Pantherpaw nodded in understanding. For the next couple of minutes, the three cats walked in silence. All that could be heard was the swishing of grass in the wind, and the occasional cry of a buzzard above head.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar scent hit Pantherpaw's nose. He tried his best to remain calm, but his fur began to fluff up anyways. Glancing at the two experienced warriors he asked, "What is it?"

"RiverClan," Whitestar meowed, looking confused. Looking at Elmclaw she meowed, "RiverClan almost never comes this far. They usually stay close to the waterfall, or towards the marshes by ShadowClan."

"Something's probably wrong," Elmclaw meowed, looking slightly worried.

"Something _is_ wrong," a sad voice called out. Suddenly, a pretty gray tabby stepped out from behind a clump of heather. "I think Mistystar is dying of old age," the gray tabby she-cat meowed.

Whitestar let out a loud gasp before exclaiming, "You can't be serious, Willowshine!"

Willowshine sadly nodded her head. "I'm afraid I am, Whitestar. Over the last couple of weeks, her health has just taken a rapid decline. While some days are better than others, it's evident she's not going to be around for much longer and there isn't anything I can do to save her. I suppose it's to be expected though, as Mistystar has been around since she days of Crookedstar."

Whiestar was silent for a few minutes before muttering under her breath, "I suppose it won't be long before I follow her." Looking up she asked, "Is there anything WindClan can do to help?"

The RiverClan medicine cat nodded. "Yes, there is something you can do. Mistystar has requested to share tongues with the five leaders before she goes, so that's what I've come here for."

"I'll come right away," Whitestar meowed. Turning to look at Pantherpaw she meowed, "I'm sorry I couldn't accompany you to explore the territory."

"It's okay," he responded, giving her a sympathetic look.

Whitestar flicked her tail in goodbye, before following after Willowshine.

"Is Mistystar nice?" Pantherpaw wondered, looking at Elmclaw.

Elmclaw shrugged. "I don't know her personally, but from what I've heard she sounds like a nice cat. It'll definitely be sad to see her go, though."

Pantherpaw nodded in agreement. _Poor RiverClan,_ he thought. _It must be so hard for them to know that their leader is dying._ Sighing, he pushed the thoughts away and just continued after Elmclaw.

* * *

By the time Pantherpaw and Elmclaw got back to camp, it was night time. Yawning, the dark gray tom made his way over to the apprentices den, before settling down in his nest. Right as he was about to fall asleep, several of the apprentices padded into the den, all talking loudly.

"...I can't believe he would say that to you!" an unfamiliar white she-cat gasped.

"I know, right? I really- oh! Pantherpaw, did we wake you?" Webpaw's familiar voice mewed.

Grunting, Pantherpaw sat up. "Kind of, but that's okay."

"It isn't okay," Webpaw's soft voice sounded. "We need to learn to be more respectful towards you. I promise that won't happen again." Glancing at Graypaw and an unfamiliar white she-cat she said, "Come on, let's go talk in the clearing." Together, the three she-cats padded out of the den, leaving Pantherpaw alone once more.

After they left, the dark gray apprentice just settled back down in his nest. For the first time that day, he felt slightly home sick. While WindClan was nice, it was so different than ThunderClan, which upset him slightly. It didn't help that his father was the Clan's deputy, meaning he couldn't spend very much time with his son. _I hope Cedarpaw and Flurrypaw are fairing better than I am,_ he thought before falling asleep.

* * *

 **Unlike Rising Storm, this story is going to alternate between three point of views: Viperkit, Pantherpaw, and Flurrypaw. This might seem like it's unneeded, but I promise you there is a reason that I've decided to do this. Also, this doesn't really have anything to do with characters or plots, but in case you were wondering, this story is currently taking place in April. Just thought I'd mention that so you could get a feel of how things are going.**

 **Question: Do you think Pantherpaw is going to regret joining WindClan, or do you think his home sickness is just temporary?**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Flurrypaw coughed as Cedarpaw shook old, dusty bedding close to her face. "Do that outside!" she ordered, giving him an annoyed look.

"Sorry," Cedarpaw apologized, before hurrying out of the den.

Sighing, Flurrypaw continued to clean out the apprentices den. As she worked on bundling up some old moss, Dovewing poked her head inside the den.

"Hello," her mentor meowed cheerfully. "Once you're done in here, do you think you could work on cleaning the nursery out? Lilyheart's kits will be here any day now, and when they arrive they'll need fresh bedding. Oh! And when you're done with that, come see me." Dovewing dipped her head, before exiting.

Flurrypaw nodded and continued to work. Once she was done gathering up all the old moss, she quickly disposed of it outside of camp, before heading to the medicine cat den. "I need some fresh moss for the nursery," she meowed to her mother.

"It's in the back of the den," Leafpool replied, flicking her tail in the direction of the moss.

"Thanks," she meowed, picking up the moss. Waving her tail in goodbye, she headed towards the nursery.

As Flurrypaw entered the den, Daisy lifted her head and called out, "Hello! How are you doing today?"

"I'm good. How are Redkit and Rowankit?" Flurrypaw wondered, looking down at Daisy's two sons. Both toms were dark ginger, like their father.

Daisy let out a loud purr. "They're doing wonderfully. Redkit is already starting to open up his eyes." Daisy readjusted her position so that Flurrypaw could get a closer look at the kittens.

As Flurrypaw studied the kits, she could see the corner of Redkit's eyes was starting to open up a bit. "Time flies so fast," she commented quietly. "I remember the day they were born... Now they're almost a half-moon old!"

Daisy continued to purr as she licked her kits. "In a few more weeks, they'll be running everywhere." Suddenly the cream-colored she-cat let out a sigh. "I remember when you and your brothers were this age. Oh, you were absolutely precious! And Viperkit too... I can't believe she's going to become an apprentice soon." Glancing over at Lilyheart she added, "And you... It feels like you were just becoming a warrior yesterday."

Lilyheart let out a small chuckle before meowing, "I know. Time flies..." Glancing down at her swollen belly the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat meowed, "But my kits can't seem to arrive here fast enough!"

"Oh, they'll be here before you know," Daisy mewed, her eyes gleaming. Turning back to Flurrypaw she meowed, "Sorry for distracting you from your work. Here," she stood up and carefully moved her kits back so that Flurrypaw could take the old moss.

The white she-cat dipped her head in thanks, before quickly gathering up Daisy's old bedding. She then laid out the fresh moss, allowing Daisy and her kits to lay back down. Padding over to Lilyheart's nest, she did the same, before heading over to Amberclaw and Viperkit's empty nest. Once she was done she dipped her head and headed out into the forest to dispose of the stinking moss.

"Now I just have to find Dovewing," she whispered to herself. Finally she spotted her mentor over by the camp entrance. Rushing over she called out, "I hope you haven't been waiting too long!"

Dovewing shook her head. "No, I've only been waiting for a couple of minutes."

Flurrypaw let out a sigh of relief. "What did you need me for?"

"I'm going to take you out to train with the other apprentices," her mentor answered, before padding out of camp.

She quickly followed after Dovewing, extremely excited. _Perhaps I'll be able to see Pantherpaw!_ Her excitement quickly faded as Flurrypaw realized they were heading in the direction of ShadowClan's camp.

Eventually, the two of them stopped at a forest clearing surrounded by tall pines and thick undergrowth. Several cats were all ready waiting in the clearing, all of which were unfamiliar to her. Upon seeing them, Flurrypaw grew very uncomfortable. She had never been around so many strangers in her life.

"Greetings, Dovewing!" a black-and-gray tom called out.

Dovewing dipped her head before replying, "Greetings, Ferretclaw." Turning to the other cats she meowed, "Hello."

"Before we begin, I think we should take the time to introduce the apprentices to one another," a pale ginger tom meowed.

"Good idea, Sandstripe." Ferretclaw turned towards four apprentices and meowed, "This is my apprentice, Honeypaw." He flicked his tail towards a white she-cat with ginger flecks. "And the other three apprentices are Acornpaw, Lichenpaw, and Jaggedpaw."

Each apprentice awkwardly dipped their heads as their name was called out.

Sandstripe stood up next. "This is Morningpaw, Redpaw, and Newtpaw," the RiverClan tom meowed, smiling at the three apprentices who stood by him. The tortoiseshell she-cat proudly raised her head and smiled.

"And this is Flurrypaw," Dovewing meowed. "I would have brought Cedarpaw and Stonepaw with me, but their mentors already had plans for them today."

Flurrypaw squirmed as the ShadowClan and RiverClan apprentice's gazes burned into her pelt. "H-hello," she meowed shyly.

"I think I've seen you before," Lichenpaw meowed, smiling.

"Probably," she replied, shuffling her paws in the sand.

"First thing you're going to learn is how to fight in thick undergrowth. All three of our territories have spots with very thick undergrowth, meaning we need to learn how to fight in it just in case," Ferretclaw meowed loudly.

"A majority of our territory has very little undergrowth, though!" Honeypaw protested, looking annoyed.

"Yeah," Newtpaw agreed, looking at Sandstripe.

"I'll repeat this one more time," Ferretclaw growled, looking irritated, "All three of our territories have spots with very thick undergrowth, meaning we need to learn how to fight in it just in case. It doesn't matter if a majority of the territory has weak undergrowth: we still need to learn. What if a predator corners you in some brambles? Then what are you going to do?" Turning to Dovewing he meowed, "Show them some moves."

Honeypaw and Newtpaw didn't look pleased, but they didn't argue. Instead the two of them directed their attention towards Dovewing, who was explaining how to fight in brambles.

As Flurrypaw listened, her mind drifted away. Eventually she found herself thinking of Pantherpaw. Did he like living in WindClan? What was he doing right now? Did he miss her? Suddenly, Lichenpaw poked her.

"Dovewing's talking to you," the tortoiseshell she-cat whispered.

Flurrypaw quickly shook the thoughts away before looking at Dovewing. "Yes?"

"I want you to practice with me to show the other apprentices how to fight," her mentor replied, padding into the undergrowth.

Gulping, Flurrypaw padded after her. She had been so focused on her brother that she hadn't listened to what Dovewing was saying. _M-maybe I'll be able to get by with the training I know,_ she thought.

"Pretend I'm a badger," Dovewing meowed, fluffing out her fur to make herself appear larger.

Flurrypaw nodded, preparing for the attack. As she studied her surroundings, Dovewing unexpectedly leaped on her, causing her to fall right onto of a bramble patch.

Dovewing let out an annoyed sigh before stepping off. "You weren't prepared at all," her mentor scolded.

"You didn't even give me any time to get ready!" Flurrypaw snapped.

"When you stumble across an angry badger, there is no time to get ready!" Dovewing argued.

"You're not a badger, though," she replied, flicking her tail back and forth.

Dovewing clenched her teeth. "Just go sit down," her mentor meowed, looking embarrassed.

As Flurrypaw headed back to her seat, Honeypaw sneered, "I bet I could have done it!"

She shot the ShadowClan apprentice an annoyed look. "If you're so confident, why don't you?" The white she-cat wrapped her plumy tail around her paws, feeling embarrassed. _Those ShadowClan apprentices are never going to let me forget this,_ she thought sadly.

Honeypaw smirked, before trotting over to Dovewing. "I'll try!"

Dovewing looked uncertain at first, but eventually beckoned Honeypaw into the undergrowth. Once again, Dovewing leaped at Honeypaw, who easily dodged out of the way. As Flurrypaw watched her, anger bubbled up inside. _I can't believe I messed up so bad!_

"You okay?" Lichenpaw whispered, noticing Flurrypaw's upset expression.

"No. I made a complete fool out of myself!" she groaned.

"Everyone makes mistakes," the ShadowClan apprentice replied. "Don't let it get you down so much, okay? Also, don't let Honeypaw get under your fur. She's just a smug little furball who thinks she's better than everyone."

Flurrypaw felt a small purr rumble in her throat. Glad for Lichenpaw's company she replied, "Thanks."

"It's nothing," Lichenpaw mewed, smiling.

* * *

Flurrypaw pushed her way through the undergrowth, scenting the air. After battle training, the mentors had split the eight apprentices into two groups of four. Flurrypaw had been paired with Honeypaw, Jaggedpaw, and Newtpaw.

"I smell a toad," Jaggedpaw hissed to Honeypaw.

"Ew! I don't want to catch a toad," Newtpaw complained, wrinkling his nose.

Jaggedpaw blinked at the RiverClan tom, unsure of what to say. Finally he asked, "Why not?"

"They're lumpy and gross," Newtpaw replied, pretending to gag.

Flurrypaw silently agreed with Newtpaw, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she focused on the unfamiliar forest around her, hoping to find some prey of her own. Finally she spotted a chaffinch hopping along the ground, looking for seeds.

Dropping into a hunters crouch, Flurrypaw slowly pulled herself towards the bird. Right as she was about to leap, her tail swished against some sharp brambles, causing her to hiss. Evidently the chaffinch heard her, as it flew up into the pine branches above.

Growling, Flurrypaw turned around and attempted to free her tail from the brambles. _I don't understand the point of trying to hunt in ShadowClan's territory,_ she thought irritably. _After all, I'm a ThunderClan cat. I should be hunting in my_ own _territory. At least there I know where I'm at and what I'm doing. Besides, I don't plan on joining ShadowClan any time soon. Not like Sorrelstripe._

Before Flurrypaw was born, Sorrelstripe had gone to live with ShadowClan. Cinderheart and Lionblaze had been disappointed in their daughter's choice, but they realized that it would make her happy. To this day it was still unknown as to why Sorrelstripe had left, but she clearly enjoyed her new life as she hadn't bothered to come back.

"Are you okay?" Honeypaw questioned, padding up to her.

Flurrypaw nodded, giving her sore tail a lick.

"Okay," the ShadowClan she-cat meowed, before walking away.

Sighing, Flurrypaw stood up and followed after her. As she walked back to the other apprentices, a mouse quickly scurried across her path. Fast as lightning, Flurrypaw flung herself at the tiny creature and quickly killed it. Slightly satisfied with her catch, she padded back to the group, her tail high in the air.

"Come on, let's head back to the clearing," Jaggedpaw meowed, trotting back to the training clearing.

Once they arrived, the warriors looked over their catches with pleased looks. "You could have caught more, but I suppose for your first time out this is good," Sandstripe meowed, smiling.

Dovewing nodded in agreement. "Good job," she praised. Glancing at the sky she meowed, "I think it's time Flurrypaw and I head back to camp."

Ferretclaw dipped his head. "I was just about to say the same thing. Goodbye!" he called, before beckoning the four ShadowClan apprentices away.

"Goodbye!" Jaggedpaw called out, waving his tail. As he padded away, he grabbed the toad he had caught earlier.

"Bye," Morningpaw replied, following after Sandstripe and her brothers back to RiverClan.

As Flurrypaw padded after Dovewing she waved her tail in goodbye. As she walked, she began to feel disappointed. "Dovewing?" she whispered, afraid to meet her mentor's gaze.

"Hm?

"I'm sorry," she choked out, eyeing her tiny mouse.

Dovewing turned to look at her, a look of confusion plastered across her face. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything..."

"I feel like I did a lousy job today," she replied.

Dovewing draped her fluffy tail across Flurrypaw's white back. "You did fine," her mentor reassured her.

"Really?" Flurrypaw whispered.

Her mentor nodded. "Yes. You're a very brilliant she-cat, and I'm honored to be your mentor. Also keep in mind that everyone has their off days. Even the best of warriors have a day where they miss a catch or get defeated in a battle. It doesn't make them a lousy warrior – it just makes them like everyone else."

A loud purr rumbled in Flurrypaw's throat. "Thank you, Dovewing. I have a question for you... H-how did you manage after you lost your powers?"

Dovewing immediately meowed, "It was very hard for me to cope. I couldn't hunt as well as I used to, and I honestly felt deaf. It didn't help that shortly after Ivypool..." she broke off, clearly upset, "went _away_." Even though her sister had died nearly two years ago, Flurrypaw knew that Ivypool's death was still a sensitive topic for Dovewing.

 _I couldn't imagine losing one of my brothers._ Flurrypaw then thought about Lionblaze and Jayfeather, and how hard it must have been to lose Hollyleaf. _I wish I had known her. From the stories I've heard, she sounded like a wonderful cat. She would have been an excellent older sister._

"I'm sorry I asked," she meowed, hoping Dovewing wasn't too upset.

Right away, Dovewing shook her head. "No, don't be sorry." Before her mentor could say anything else, they arrived at camp.

Pushing her way through the camp entrance, Flurrypaw headed straight for the fresh-kill pile. Dropping her mouse, she exchanged it for a squirrel and carried it back to her nest. After eating her prey, she felt the urge to spend time with one of her older brothers.

Flurrypaw wasn't very close to her older brothers, but she understood why. Both toms held very important positions within the Clan, meaning they didn't have all the time in the world to spend with her and Cedarpaw. That didn't mean they hardly spent any time together, because they would get together and talk every once and a while.

Poking her head inside the medicine cat den, Flurrypaw stopped Jayfeather wrapping some cobweb around Thrushfeather's paw.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Yeah," the blind medicine cat replied, not taking his eyes off of Thrushfeather. As he continued to work, Thrushfeather let out a whimper.

"Great StarClan that hurts," the dark brown tabby she-cat hissed.

"It wouldn't hurt so bad if you had came to me, rather than pull it out yourself," Jayfeather responded, slightly irritated.

"How was I supposed to know my paw would get infected?" the young she-cat retorted, flicking her tail back and forth.

As Flurrypaw sat down at the entrance of the den she wondered, "What happened?"

"Last week I stepped on a thorn, and when I tried to pull the thorn out it caused my paw to get infected," Thrushfeather replied.

"Ouch. That's not good," Flurrypaw meowed, wincing slightly. Hearing about painful injuries always made Flurrypaw uncomfortable. She didn't know why, but whenever she heard about them it would just make her body ache. "I hope you feel better."

Finally, Jayfeather sat back and said, "You're good to go. Just make sure that cobweb stays on your paw. Also, tell Squirrelflight you're not allowed to do any duties for the next three sunrises. Your paw has a bad infection, and the last thing you need to do is go tromping through the forest, injuring it even further."

Thrushfeather nodded. "Will do," she mewed, limping out of the den.

Once she was gone, Jayfeather asked, "What do you want?" Despite his tone of voice, Flurrypaw could tell he wasn't angry or annoyed at her.

"I just wanted to visit you for a little bit," she replied, gazing around the den.

"Well, make it quick. There's a meeting at the Whispering Cave tonight, and Leafpool wants me to organize the coltsfoot before I go," her older brother told her, sniffing around at the herbs.

"Can you tell me a little more about Hollyleaf?" she wondered.

Jayfeather was quiet for a few minutes. "What do you want to know?" he replied in a soft tone.

"Just... what she was like. I already know the basics, but what was she really like? Was she loud? Adventurous? Funny?" As Flurrypaw waited for an answer, she began to wonder what her older sister was like. In her mind, she imagined a proud and brave she-cat, willing to do anything in order to protect her Clan.

"Hollyleaf was very complex," Jayfeather finally said. "She was also a bit bossy at times, or at least when she was an apprentice. When she returned from the tunnels, she had matured a lot."

"What are you talking about?" Leafpool asked, walking into the den. As she passed Flurrypaw, she gave her daughter a quick lick on top of the head.

"Hollyleaf," Flurrypaw replied, purring.

Leafpool's gaze darkened. "Jayfeather will tell you another time," her mother suddenly meowed. "Right now he's busy."

Realizing this was still a sensitive topic for her mother, Flurrypaw backed out of the den. She called a quick goodbye, before heading over to her den. Inside, Cedarpaw was already fast asleep.

Smiling at her brother, Flurrypaw curled up next to him. As she closed her eyes, she thought of her family. While her family's past had been chaotic and full of secrets, Flurrypaw didn't care. She loved each and every one of her kin, and she would do anything to protect them.

* * *

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you all will enjoy it as well. Now that all three characters have had their point of views, who do you think you like the best? Also, what do you think about Flurrypaw's strong sense of loyalty towards her family? Do you think this is a good thing, or do you think it will come back to bite her?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Come away from the entrance, Viperkit. Otherwise you'll get soaked!" Amberclaw called.

Sighing, Viperkit turned away from the nursery entrance and padded back over to her mother's nest. Today was supposed to be her apprentice ceremony, but due to the rain it had been postponed.

"I don't see why I can't become an apprentice in the rain," she sighed, curling up beside her mother.

"Don't worry. When the rain stops, Bramblestar will hold your ceremony." Amberclaw began to lick Viperkit's ears clean. The pale ginger she-cat abruptly stopped before whispering, "I can't believe you're going to be an apprentice."

Viperkit shifted her position so that she could look up at her mother. "Will you miss me?"

"I'll miss you every day," her mother replied, looking sad. Finally Amberclaw smiled and said, "But watching you grow into a fine, young warrior will be worth it."

Suddenly Bramblestar's familiar call rang out across the clearing, causing Viperkit to spring to her paws. Without even waiting for her mother, the young she-cat raced out into the mud-filled clearing. Within a heart beat, Viperkit was seated in front of the Giant Holly where Bramblestar called Clan meetings.

As Bramblestar waited for the rest of the Clan to gather, he eyed her. "You're excited, aren't you?" he chuckled, his eyes gleaming.

"Oh yes!" Viperkit chirped. Suddenly, she felt the presence of another cat behind her. Looking over her shoulder she saw Amberclaw had caught up with her.

"Don't ever run off like that again," her mother scolded, before taking a seat. As they waited for Bramblestar to start the ceremony, Amberclaw glanced around for her mate. "Where is he?" she muttered under her breath.

Viperkit also scanned the clearing for her father, but he was no where to be found. _Surely he wouldn't miss my apprentice ceremony?_

"Viperkit, please come forward!" Bramblestar called out, beckoning her forward with his tail.

Viperkit cast one last look across the clearing for her father, before trotting up to stand beside Bramblestar.

"Today Viperkit has reached six moons of age, meaning she is ready to become an apprentice. Until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Viperpaw. Hollystorm will be your mentor." Glancing at Hollystorm Bramblestar said, "Seedwhisker was your mentor, meaning she passed down all of her wit and bravery to you. I hope you will do the same for Viperpaw."

"I'll do my best," Hollystorm promised as she pushed her way to the front of the crowd.

Viperpaw quickly hurried over to her mentor and touched noses with her. As she stood beside Hollystorm, the Clan called out, "Viperpaw! Viperpaw! Viperpaw!"

"What are we going to do first?" Viperpaw wondered, still looking around for her father.

"First of all, I want you to go make your nest. Then I was thinking we should do a quick tour of the territory, and maybe on the way back I can show you a hunting move or two," Hollystorm replied, walking in the direction of the thorn barrier.

Viperpaw nodded. "That sounds good," she meowed quietly. As the black she-cat padded over to the apprentices den, Cedarpaw and Flurrypaw raced up to her.

"Congratulations!" Cedarpaw purred, his eyes shining.

"Yeah, congratulations." Flurrypaw gave Viperpaw a small smile. "Come on, we'll show you where to make your nest at."

Viperpaw dipped her head gratefully, before following the two older apprentices into the den. As she stared around the den, she spotted an open space close to the entrance. "I suppose that's where my nest will go," she mewed to no one in particular.

Flurrypaw nodded. "Here's the moss for your nest," the pretty she-cat said, handing a wad of green moss over to the new apprentice.

Viperpaw took the moss and began to spread it out on the ground. As she worked, Cedarpaw and Flurrypaw handed her bracken and ferns to help line the nest.

"If I find some feathers, you can use them to line your nest," Cedarpaw spoke up, looking excited.

As he spoke, Flurrypaw gave her brother an unreadable look. Was she upset that Cedarpaw was going to give the feathers to Viperpaw, rather than her? _That's ridiculous,_ Viperpaw thought. _Flurrypaw and I have always gotten along, so she wouldn't become upset over something as silly as a feather._

"Are you ready?" Hollystorm's voice sounded.

"Yeah," Viperpaw called, racing out of the den.

Right as they were about to walk out of camp, Spiderleg pushed his way into camp, followed by Rosepetal, Poppyfrost, and Snowfeather. Upon seeing Viperpaw and Hollystorm he asked, "What's going on?"

"I-I became an apprentice," Viperpaw replied, her voice cracking. While she knew her father had been out on a patrol, she was still disappointed that he hadn't been here to see her ceremony.

"Where where you?!" Amberclaw demanded as she rushed up to Spiderleg.

"I was out on patrol," Spiderleg replied, looking upset.

"You knew Viperpaw's ceremony was today!" her mother argued.

Spiderleg flattened his ears to his head. "I'm sorry. I tried to make it back to camp as fast as I could. You know I wouldn't miss our daughter's apprentice ceremony on purpose."

At this point, Viperpaw could feel the gaze of the entire Clan burning into her pelt. Her mother must have felt it too for she muttered, "Everyone is staring. Let's talk about this another time." Without saying anything else, Amberclaw turned and padded away.

Spiderleg and Viperpaw watched her go. Spiderleg then turned and headed in the direction of the warriors den. As he passed he muttered a quick 'sorry'.

"Er... let's get going," Hollystorm mewed awkwardly.

 _I don't feel like touring the territory anymore,_ Viperpaw thought irritably, but she kept her mouth shut. As she pushed her way through the camp entrance for the first time, Viperpaw didn't even bother to be excited. Her day was already ruined, and nothing would make her feel better.

"...training hollow. Hey, are you even listening to me?" Hollystorm snapped.

Glancing up, Viperpaw realized they had stopped beside a large sandy clearing surrounded by ferns. "I just have a lot on my mind," the black she-cat meowed.

"This is the training hollow," Hollystorm repeated. "This is where most of your training will be done."

 _I would have never guessed,_ Viperpaw thought sarcastically.

Turning away from the sandy clearing, Hollystorm headed towards the moorland. When they arrived at the edge of the trees her mentor said, "This is where ThunderClan's territory ends and WindClan's territory starts."

As Viperpaw stared out across the moorland, she tried to see if she could spot Pantherpaw. Sadly, there was no sign of the familiar dark gray tom. Looking back at Hollystorm she asked, "Are we going to go out there?"

The older she-cat shook her head. "Not today. Perhaps another time I'll take you out to the moorland." Turning away from the border, Hollystorm padded deeper into the forest.

* * *

Viperpaw's paws ached as she trudged into camp. A small vole hung from her jaws, but she was too tired to be proud of her first catch. Once she deposited the vole onto the fresh kill pile, the young she-cat headed for the apprentices den. Poking her head inside, she saw that Flurrypaw, Cedarpaw and Stonepaw were already inside.

"How was your first day as an apprentice?" Cedarpaw meowed loudly.

"Shh! Stonepaw is asleep," Flurrypaw whispered.

"Sorry. So how was it?" Cedarpaw questioned once more.

"It was... tiring," Viperpaw confessed as she curled up in her nest. As she lay there, she could feel her friend's gazes burning into her pelt, causing her to grow uncomfortable. "Can you stop staring at me?" she snapped.

Cedarpaw let out a tiny whimper, but didn't say anything. Instead the reddish-brown tom simply exchanged a look with his sister.

"Viperpaw..." Flurrypaw began, her voice cracking slightly. "I-I'm sorry that Spiderleg missed your apprentice ceremony."

"I appreciate your concern, but I _really_ don't want to talk about this right now." Closing her eyes, Viperpaw tried to go to sleep, but now it seemed impossible. While she knew her father hadn't missed her ceremony on purpose, it would only add to the rumors and drama that her family faced. _I can't bare to be the reason my parent's relationship fails,_ she thought sadly.

"I understand. Just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, we're here for you. Right Cedarpaw?"

"Right," Cedarpaw mewed softly.

Viperpaw was quiet for a long time, unsure of what to say. Finally she whispered, "Thanks." When no reply came, she looked over to see both of her denmates were fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Viperpaw felt a strong paw shake her shoulder. "A-am I late for training?" she asked, still half asleep.

"Hollystorm gave you the day off," her mother's familiar voice sounded.

Fully awake, Viperpaw sat up. "What? Why?"

"We want to make it up to you for what happened yesterday," Spiderleg explained.

Amberclaw nodded. "Your father and I both feel horrible about yesterdays... _predicament_."

Viperpaw was silent for a few moments, before smiling slightly. "What are we going to do today?"

Spiderleg was thoughtful for a few seconds. "I was thinking we could take a walk through the forest, and then on the way back do some hunting."

"I like that idea," Amberclaw chirped, her eyes gleaming.

"I like it too," Viperpaw put in, standing to her paws. As she followed her parents out of camp, she could feel the gaze of a few cats burning into her pelt. Feeling confident in her parents relationship, Viperpaw simply met their gaze with a smirk, before turning away. _We'll show them!_ she thought.

As the three cats padded through the forest, Viperpaw pricked her ears for the sound of prey. _I want to surprise them with my hunting skills!_

Right as she spotted a mouse, a loud squeal came from her mother. Glancing up, she saw that both of her parents were gathered around a small flower. On top rested a pretty, blue butterfly.

"Do you remember the time that butterfly landed on your head?" Amberclaw asked Spiderleg.

Spiderleg grimaced as he remembered the thought. "I remember," he said.

Amberclaw's whiskers twitched with amusement as she looked back down at the butterfly. Slowly, her mother held out a paw and the butterfly climbed up onto it. "I just love these little guys. They're so beautiful."

As Viperpaw watched her mother, she let out a small purr. She was all too familiar with the stories the elders had told her about her mother. Amberclaw had once been a scatterbrained apprentice who was always cheerful and full of energy. Nothing could get her down, and she always tried to look on the positive of things. That had all changed after becoming a mother, though. After giving birth to Viperpaw, Amberclaw had developed a strong sense of maturity. That didn't mean her mother had changed into a completely new cat though. Amberclaw was still the same fun-loving cat, just more mature than she had been when she was younger.

 _It's good to see her so happy,_ she thought.

Spiderleg then broke Viperpaw's thoughts. "I want to talk to you about something," he meowed slowly, before looking at Amberclaw.

Amberclaw shook the butterfly away, before looking at her mate.

Her father cleared his throat before meowing, "I'm not really sure how to word this, but I'll try my best." Spiderleg looked down at his paws. "I know I'm not the best parent in the world, but I truly love all of my kits. I would never miss your apprentice ceremony on purpose, Viperpaw. I hope you know that."

"I know," she choked out.

"If I had known-"

"No, it's okay. I know you're sorry. You don't have to keep apologizing." Viperpaw gave him a smile to show she was sincere.

"I just wanted you to know," Spiderleg replied. Once more, the black-and-brown tom looked at Amberclaw. "I also want you to know that no matter what any cat says, I really do love your mother. Despite the rumors, I'm not the kind of tom cat to just play with a she-cat's feelings and then leave when she's pregnant. I really love Amberclaw, and I loved Daisy too. I'm just not the best at being a father, or a mate. I promise you I am working on it though, and I'm not going to let what happened with Daisy happen with your mother and I."

Amberclaw purred. "And no matter what any cat says, I love your father back. He didn't force me to be with him. I chose on my own free will, because I loved him. And if any cat has a problem with that, let them. It's none of their business. Just always remember that."

Viperpaw nodded. "I promise I'll never forget what you told me."

* * *

Pushing her way through the tall grass, Viperpaw sniffed the air for the rabbit she and her parents had been pursuing. _I'll find you,_ she vowed, once again sniffing the air.

Finally she spotted the rabbit's white tail as it bobbed up and down. Knowing she had to be fast, the young she-cat immediately broke out into a run. As she gained on the rabbit, a blur of dark gray fur flashed in front of her.

Skidding to a halt, Viperpaw spotted Pantherpaw standing there with the rabbit in his jaws.

"Great catch," she panted, sitting down.

Pantherpaw sat down the rabbit. "Thanks!"

"So what have you been up to?" she wondered.

The WindClan apprentice shrugged. "Nothing really. Congratulations on becoming an apprentice by the way," he replied.

Viperpaw smiled. "How did you know?"

"Well, I doubt that a kit would be out here hunting..."

In that moment, Viperpaw felt like smacking herself in the face. _I can't believe I said that!_ "Oh, right." Glancing around she asked, "Do you like living in WindClan?"

Pantherpaw immediately nodded. "Definitely! At first I was a little homesick, but by the end of the first week I knew this was where I truly belonged. All of the cats are very nice, and I've made several friends."

"That's good to hear. Flurrypaw and Cedarpaw miss you terribly. Why haven't you visited them any?" she wondered.

"I've just been really busy. Elmclaw is a strict mentor, so he always keeps me on my paws. Crowfeather also pushes me hard, since he's the deputy and everything. Tell them I'll visit them soon. Perhaps at the next Gathering we can get together?" Pantherpaw suggested.

"I'll tell them," Viperpaw answered.

Before they could continue their conversation further, Amberclaw and Spiderleg pushed their way through the grass. Upon seeing Pantherpaw they meowed, "It's good to see you!"

After exchanging a friendly conversation, Amberclaw turned to Viperpaw and said, "Come on. It's time we head back to camp."

Nodding, Viperpaw stood to her paws. "It was good seeing you," she told Pantherpaw, before walking away.

Pantherpaw dipped his head. "Same goes to you! And remember what I asked you to tell Flurrypaw and Cedarpaw!"

"I will," she responded, before being swallowed up by the tall moorland grass.

* * *

 **I'm really pleased with how long some of these chapters are turning out. With Rising Storm, I struggled a bit to make long chapters, but now they seem very easy to write. With that said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I also promise you there is more to Viperpaw's story than her family problems. Of course, that is one main issue, but she will endure many other things in her life to help build her character. I will try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible.**

 **Thank you for reading, and thank you for all of your reviews/favorites/follows. :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Pale moonlight spilled over the red rocks as Pantherpaw followed Elmclaw up the side of the gorge.

Tonight was the young tom's first Gathering, and he was extremely nervous. _I hope Viperpaw passed my message on to Flurrypaw and Cedarpaw,_ he thought.

As they neared the top of the gorge, Pantherpaw could see the shapes of the other warriors as they headed towards the Sky Rock. He tried to see if he could recognize any of them, but it was useless.

"Are you looking for your littermates?" Elmclaw wondered.

Pantherpaw nodded. "Yes. I really miss them, so I hope they're here."

"I imagine they will be," Elmclaw said.

Finally the two toms reached the Sky Rock. It was bustling with cats from all five Clans, all of which were engaged in conversations. As Pantherpaw squeezed his way through the crowd, he tried to spot the familiar shapes of his littermates and his mother.

"You stepped on my tail!" a cranky voice growled.

Turning around, Pantherpaw saw an angry black tom glaring at him. "I'm sorry!" he gulped.

The black tom just glared at him, before padded away. As he walked, Pantherpaw could hear him mutter, "Young cats these days! They have absolutely no respect for their elders."

 _I said sorry! What else does that mangy old furball expect me to do?_ Pantherpaw thought angrily. Loudly he meowed, "Elders these days! They're always so rude and unpleasant to be around, just because they're jealous of us young cats."

The black tom evidently heard him, for he spun around and spat, "What did you just say to me?"

"I think you heard me," Pantherpaw meowed defiantly.

Right as the black tom opened his mouth, Crowfeather pulled Pantherpaw away. "Okay, that's enough!" his father growled. Muttering a quick apology to the elder, Crowfeather lead his son away. "What were you thinking?" his father demanded, narrowing his eyes angrily.

"He started it." Pantherpaw shrugged and just looked down at his paws.

"It doesn't matter if he started it." His father sighed before adding, "Look, just stay out of trouble and be nice, okay? The last thing I need is for you to gain a bad reputation like Breezepelt had."

Pantherpaw flattened his ears to his head, feeling slightly ashamed of himself. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Now go sit with your mother," his father said, flicking his tail towards the place the medicine cats sat.

As Pantherpaw headed towards his mother, he could make out the familiar dark reddish-brown shape of his brother, Cedarpaw. "Cedarpaw!" he called out once he was close enough.

Upon hearing his brother's voice, Cedarpaw spun around and exclaimed, "It's so good to see you!"

"Where is Flurrypaw?" he wondered, looking around.

"She didn't come," Cedarpaw told him. "She ate a bad mouse, and now she's sick."

"Oh no! Will she be okay?" Pantherpaw worried.

"She's going to be fine. Jayfeather is watching over her closely," his mother's voice sounded.

Pantherpaw let out a loud purr as he padded up to her side. Closing his eyes, he pressed his muzzle into her chest, glad to see her. As he stood there, he could feel his mother's tongue lick the top of his head.

As he stepped back, he could see that her eyes were shining with pride. "I've missed you very much. How are things in WindClan?" she asked.

"I missed you too," he meowed. "And things are great. I have the best mentor any cat could ask for, and the other apprentices are really nice."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Leafpool replied.

Turning towards his brother Pantherpaw asked, "What about you? Are you enjoying yourself in ThunderClan?"

Cedarpaw nodded. "Of course I am. Flurrypaw and I miss you like crazy, though. Sometimes I wish you would come back and live with us."

As Pantherpaw opened his mouth to speak, Rowanstar yowled out, "Let this Gathering begin!"

Turning his attention away from his family, Pantherpaw looked up at the five leaders. To his surprise, Mistystar was there. As he studied her, he could see her bones jutting out from under her pelt, causing her to look older than the gorge itself. _She really is dying,_ he realized sadly.

"All is well in ShadowClan this moon," Rowanstar was meowing. Foxflower and Stoatfur have provided the Clan with four healthy kits, and before long Hazelfoot's kits will be here. The prey is also running wonderfully, and each night we go to our nests with full bellies." Turning towards Mistystar he added, "I would also like to warn you that one of our patrols chased a pregnant fox into your territory three sunrises ago."

Mistystar nodded her head. "Thank you for warning us. I'll be sure to have my warriors keep an eye out for it. There is not much news to report this moon, besides the fact that Shyfur has given birth to two healthy kits – Sealkit and Shrewkit – and that Mothwing has decided to retire." As the RiverClan leader finished speaking, she started panting and had to lay down.

Realizing the RiverClan leader was done, Bramblestar stepped forward. "ThunderClan has been blessed this past moon! We have three new apprentices: Flurrypaw, Cedarpaw, and Viperpaw."

"Flurrypaw! Cedarpaw! Viperpaw!" Pantherpaw yowled loudly. Beside him, he felt his brother stand him tall and puff out his chest proudly.

"Daisy and Lilyheart have also had their kits. Daisy has had two healthy toms which she has decided to name Redkit and Rowankit."

A flicker of movement caught Pantherpaw's eye. Looking over, he spotted Bouncefire standing there with a proud expression on his face. "Those are my kits!" he heard the SkyClan tom boast.

"Lilyheart has also given birth to three healthy kits – two she-cats and a tom. Their names are Dapplekit, Blossomkit, and Branchkit."

Pantherpaw let out a happy purr at the sound of all the kits. Unlike most toms, Pantherpaw loved kittens. There was something about the little furballs that just made him so happy. He hoped that one day he would be able to settle down with a nice she-cat and have kits of his own.

As the Gathering continued on, Leafstar and Whitestar both talked about events that had occurred in their Clans. After they were done speaking, the five Clans began to split up and head their separate ways.

"I hope we can meet up again soon," Pantherpaw meowed to his brother.

"Maybe you could come spend the night with us in ThunderClan!" Cedarpaw suggested happily.

Pantherpaw's eyes widened in surprise. "I can't," he argued.

His brother frowned. "Well, why not?"

"Elmclaw wouldn't allow it," Pantherpaw replied. While Elmclaw was a good mentor to Pantherpaw, he was a no-nonsense type of cat, meaning work came before play.

"How do you know? It won't hurt to ask him," Cedarpaw pressed on.

 _He's not going to stop until I ask,_ he realized. Looking around, Pantherpaw tried to see if he could spot his mentor. Finally he spotted the gray tom deep in conversation with a pretty ginger she-cat.

"Hello," the pretty she-cat greeted as Pantherpaw neared her and Elmclaw.

Pantherpaw politely dipped his head and said, "Hi. How are you?"

"I'm doing wonderfully. Let me guess – you're Elmclaw's apprentice, Pantherpaw?" she asked.

Pantherpaw puffed out his chest slightly. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Elmclaw has been telling me a lot about you. He says you're an excellent apprentice." The she-cat's eyes were glimmering as she spoke.

"Thanks," Pantherpaw meowed to his mentor, glad for the praise. Before the two warriors could continue chatting he said, "Elmclaw I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" his mentor wondered.

"Could I stay overnight in ThunderClan? M-My mother and littermates really miss me." The dark gray apprentice gulped, ready for his mentor to say 'no'.

"Sure."

Pantherpaw's jaw dropped open in surprise. He then blinked a few times, still registering the reply. "You really mean it?" he exclaimed.

Elmclaw nodded. "You've done excellent in your training, so you deserve a reward. I'll send Crowfeather for you at dusk, so be ready to leave when he gets there."

Pantherpaw smiled. "Thanks!" he purred, before padding away. As he walked away he called out, "Goodnight Elmclaw and..." he trailed off, not knowing the she-cat's name.

"Honeysplash," she told him.

"Goodnight, Honeysplash!" Pantherpaw finished, before padding towards his family.

By the time Pantherpaw reached ThunderClan's camp, pale morning sunlight was spilling into camp. As he passed the fresh-kill pile, his stomach ached with hunger but he was too tired to eat.

Cedarpaw, on the other paw, was bursting with energy. The reddish-brown tom was chattering away like a flock of starlings, telling Pantherpaw some long-winding story about his first encounter with a fox. Usually Pantherpaw would have been thriller to listen to his brother's tale, but now he was too sleepy to really care.

As he pushed his way into the apprentice's den, Flurrypaw sat up. "P-Pantherpaw?!" she exclaimed, jolting up. "What are you doing here? Have you come to join ThunderClan again?"

Pantherpaw shook his head. "No. I've only come to stay the night."

Flurrypaw frowned, looking slightly disappointed. "Oh," she whispered, before curling back up in her nest.

As Pantherpaw approached her, he could smell the stench of sickness coming off of her in waves. "Are you feeling any better?" he wondered.

Flurrypaw shrugged. "Not really..." she sighed. "I've been throwing up all night, and now my stomach is cramping up."

"Why don't you sleep in the medicine cats den?" he suggested, curling up in an empty spot next to her.

"Jayfeather said I was well enough to sleep in here tonight," his sister explained. "I certainly don't feel well enough, but he knows more than I do when it comes to this stuff. I just hope I'm better by sunhigh."

Pantherpaw's heart ached for his sister. Luckily he had never been sick, but he knew how hard it was on a cat's body. As a young kit, he had watched Dustpelt die from a sickness, so he certainly didn't want to watch his sister die as well. "I hope you feel better too. Now go back to sleep. You need all the rest you can get."

"Maybe if you two stopped chit-chatting like birds, we could get some sleep around here!" an annoyed voice sounded.

Looking behind him, Pantherpaw realized that he had woken Viperpaw up. The black she-cat's yellow eyes were blazing with annoyance as she stared at him.

"Sorry," he apologized, remember all too well what it felt like to be woken up.

Viperpaw just snorted and closed her eyes again.

Feeling extremely tired himself, Pantherpaw did the same. As he closed his eyes, he listened to the sound of his littermates and friend's breathing, which lulled him to sleep.

* * *

When he woke up, Pantherpaw felt confused. _Where am I?_ He thought, not remembering that he had gone to stay the night with his family. _Oh right! I'm in ThunderClan._

Sitting up, he saw that Flurrypaw and Cedarpaw were still asleep, while Viperpaw and Stonepaw were gone.

Carefully stepping over his brother's sleeping form, he headed out into the clearing. There he immediately headed for the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a vole. After gobbling his prey down, he headed for the dirt place.

"Is Flurrypaw feeling any better?" Dovewing called out. The gray she-cat was stretched out in a patch of sunlight beside her mate, Tigerheart.

"I don't know. She's still asleep," he replied.

"Good. When she wakes up, tell her to get as much rest as she needs," came the older she-cat's reply.

Pantherpaw nodded, before continuing towards the dirt place. After making his dirt, he returned to the clearing and looked around for something to do. A sudden flicker of movement caught his attention as his brother slid out of the apprentices den.

Cedarpaw spotted Pantherpaw as well, as he hurried over to his brother's side. "Hey! Have you eaten yet?"

He nodded. "I just ate a vole."

Cedarpaw licked his lips. "Okay," he mewed, before trotting over to the fresh-kill pile himself. He then snatched up a lapwing, which he gobbled down in several huge bites. Licking his lips, the reddish-brown tom asked, "Want to accompany me on a patrol?"

"That would be great," Pantherpaw said.

"Great! Let me go find Dewfrost and tell him," his brother meowed, before running off. A few seconds later, Cedarpaw returned with Dewfrost, Berrynose, and Cinderheart at his side.

"Hey, Pantherpaw!" Cinderheart greeted warmly.

He dipped his head to all three of the warriors. "It's nice to see you."

"Where should we head?" Berrynose wondered.

"I was thinking we could try hunting towards the Fern Grove," Dewfrost suggested.

Cinderheart frowned. "But didn't Tangletuft take a patrol that way this morning?"

"I think so," Berrynose spoke up. "How about we try heading towards the pine forest? No cat has tried hunting there in a few sunrises."

"That sounds good to me," Dewfrost agreed. Together the five cats padded out of camp and headed in the direction of ShadowClan's pine forest.

As they walked, Pantherpaw began to grow uncomfortable under all of the trees. Despite the fact that he had spent five moons of his life in the forest, the feeling of being under the thick canopy of trees was now making him uncomfortable. _I wish I was on the moor,_ he thought.

Finally the undergrowth began to thin out, and the oak trees turned into pine and cedar trees. All around them the scent of pine sap filled their noses, and their paws sank into the spongy ground.

"You two head that way," Dewfrost told him, flicking his tail towards the left, "and Berrynose, Cinderheart and I will go this way." Without waiting for a reply, the gray-and-white tom bounded away with the other warriors at his side.

Left alone with his brother, Pantherpaw scented the air for any signs of prey. After several attempts, Pantherpaw let out a frustrated hiss. "I don't know how ShadowClan can live here! I can't smell anything over all this pine sap. Can you smell anything?"

"No," his brother said, shaking his head.

Together the two of them continued on through the forest, searching for prey.

"Can I tell you something?" Cedarpaw blurted out.

Pantherpaw paused and turned to look at his brother. "Go ahead," he meowed, scenting the air once more.

"I think I like Viperpaw," his brother confessed.

 _Why is he telling me this?_ Pantherpaw thought, slightly annoyed. _We're supposed to be hunting, not gossping about who we have feelings for!_ Even though Pantherpaw enjoyed romance to a degree, now was not the time for it. "That's... great," he meowed awkwardly.

"Yeah. She's a pretty great cat. She's a really fast learner too, but I hear she doesn't get along too well with Hollystorm," his brother chattered on.

Pantherpaw clenched his jaw. "That's too bad, but can we focus on hunting?" he snapped a little too harshly.

Cedarpaw blinked in surprise. "Sorry. I just wanted to talk to my brother..." he trailed off.

Realizing he had hurt his brother, Pantherpaw opened his mouth to apologize, but Cedarpaw was all ready gone. _I didn't do anything wrong,_ he thought, continuing to search for prey. _After all, we_ are _supposed to be hunting._

As he pushed his way through a clump of bracken, the scent of a ShadowClan cat caught in his nose. Looking ahead he realized he spotted the ginger-and-white pelt of the ShadowClan medicine cat, Nettlebreeze. He had never talked to the she-cat before, but he had seen her around a few times.

"Greetings!" he called out as he approached.

Nettlebreeze looked up from the plants she was collecting, but didn't say anything.

"Er... how are you doing?" he asked, trying to be friendly.

Once again, Nettlebreeze eyed him, before scurrying off.

 _How odd, even for a ShadowClan cat!_ Pantherpaw thought. Shrugging, he padded away to hunt.

* * *

 **Sorry it took me a little bit to get this chapter up. I've actually had this chapter done for a few days now, but I didn't get around to editing it until now. I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Thank you for all of your reviews! :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The forest was silent as Flurrypaw pushed her way through the undergrowth. Mist swirled around her, making everything seem eerie. Pausing, she scented the air for any signs of prey.

Today was her first hunting assessment, and she was extremely nervous. It didn't help that the weather was dismal, meaning most of the prey would be stored up in their nests. _Come on!_ She thought irritably, scenting the air for any signs of prey. Once again, she scented nothing.

 _Well, I'm going to fail. Might as well give up and accept the truth._ Snorting, Flurrypaw sat down on the ground and flicked her tail back and forth. A few seconds later, the undergrowth began to rustle, causing her neck fur to bristle.

"Who's there?" she called out.

No reply.

"Who's there?!" she repeated louder.

Once again, no reply came. Slowly Flurrypaw stood up and approached the spot the rustling had came from. Cautiously, she peered through the ferns, but didn't see anything. "Are you kidding me?" she spat, before padding away.

The undergrowth began to rustle once more. As Flurrypaw spun around, she spotted the ginger-and-white pelt of Nettlebreeze slip out. The ShadowClan medicine cat's eyes were round with worry, and she looked as though she had just been to the Dark Forest and back.

"Why didn't you answer me?" Flurrypaw demanded. She knew she was being rude, but right now she didn't care.

"You have a big future ahead of you," the medicine cat meowed coyly. Without saying another word, she turned and padded away, leaving Flurrypaw alone.

Flurrypaw just watched her go, dumbfounded. "What...? I swear, that medicine cat has a walnut for a brain! How did Littlecloud ever manage to teach her _anything_?" The white she-cat stood up and padded away from the spot, before heading back to camp.

As she made her way into camp, Dovewing walked up to her. "Where's your prey?"

"I couldn't catch any. Everything was stored up in their nests," she replied honestly.

Dovewing frowned. "I see. Well then, I suppose we will just have to hold another assessment tomorrow."

Flurrypaw eyed her mentor. "Is everything okay? You aren't mad at me, are you?" Even though she knew messing up was inevitable, Flurrypaw hated the idea that she had done something wrong. She wanted to be perfect at everything she did, and if she messed up in the slightest way it would eat her up alive. She knew that wasn't good to be like this, but she just couldn't help it.

"I just have a lot on my mind is all," her mentor replied. "And don't worry, it's nothing you did."

Flurrypaw frowned, but didn't say anything. Instead she turned and headed for the apprentices den. Inside, she spotted Cedarpaw chatting away with Viperpaw. The sight made her stomach churn, and she immediately raced out of the den.

Pantherpaw had told Flurrypaw about Cedarpaw's feelings for Viperpaw. Flurrypaw hated the idea of her brother being in love with Viperpaw. It wasn't that she didn't like Viperpaw that made her so upset. It was the fact that her brother was in love with her.

Flurrypaw was all too familiar what love could do to a cat. Love could bring out the worst in a cat, and it could also make them forget what mattered the most: family.

She had heard how Tigerheart had abandoned his family in ShadowClan to be with Dovewing. Fernsong had done the same thing to be with Mudwhisker in WindClan. And even though Sorrelstripe denied it, Flurrypaw suspected she had left ThunderClan to go live with Flameclaw. Even Flurrypaw's own parents had once abandoned their Clans to run away together!

The idea of Cedarpaw abandoning her for some she-cat made Flurrypaw sick. Cedarpaw was all she had now that Pantherpaw was living in WindClan. If he chose Viperpaw over her, Flurrypaw would be all alone.

The sound of paw steps alerted Flurrypaw. Spinning around she spotted Viperpaw approaching her.

"Are you okay?" Viperpaw questioned, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No," Flurrypaw spat, looking away. _It's all or nothing,_ she thought, before taking a deep breath. "Do you love my brother?"

Viperpaw gasped. "What? You've got to be kidding me! No, I do not love your brother."

"Well, stay away from him. Do you understand me?" Flurrypaw turned around to glare at her denmate. As she stared at Viperpaw, she could feel the gazes of her Clanmates burning into her pelt.

"Let's break it up," Squirrelflight meowed, pushing her way between the two she-cats.

"It's no surprise Viperpaw is causing trouble," Berrynose muttered to Poppyfrost.

Upon hearing the cream-colored tom's words, Viperpaw spat, "I didn't do anything! Flurrypaw started it." Without saying another word, Viperpaw glared at Flurrypaw before racing away into the forest.

Squirrelflight watched her go, but didn't say anything. Instead the ThunderClan deputy turned to face Flurrypaw. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Flurrypaw muttered.

"Don't tell me that," Squirrelflight argued. "Come on. Tell me what's got you and Viperpaw at each other's throats."

"Why do you care?"

Squirrelflight's gaze softened. "You're my kin," she replied, before taking a seat next to Flurrypaw.

"It's Cedarpaw," the apprentice blurted out. "He's in love with Viperpaw and I don't want him to be."

"Why?" Squirrelflight whispered.

"B-because... if he falls in love with her, I'll be all alone." Flurrypaw squeezed her eyes shut, feeling ashamed of herself. _I'm so foolish for feeling this way, but I can't help it!_

"Your brother won't leave you just because he falls in love," Squirrelflight mewed.

"How do you know that? I mean, just look at all of the cats who have abandoned their family for love!" Flurrypaw retorted.

Squirrelflight was silent. Finally the dark ginger she-cat meowed, "You just have to trust your brother to make the right choices in life. Also, you have to let him choose his own destiny. You can't tie him down and forbid him from making the choices he wants."

"I-I know... I just... I don't want to be alone!" Flurrypaw wailed.

"You're not alone. You'll never be alone," Squirrelflight whispered, pulling her niece closer to her.

Flurrypaw just sniffled into her aunt's chest. As Squirrelflight comforted her, Leafpool padded up.

"What's going on? Is Flurrypaw hurt?" Leafpool asked, her amber eyes round with worry.

"Go talk to your mother," Squirrelflight whispered into her ear.

Flurrypaw nodded, and followed her mother into the medicine cats den. Once inside, she told her mother everything that had happened. "I know it's stupid to feel this way, but I can't help it!"

"You need to let Cedarpaw decide this for himself. He can't have you interfering with his life all of the time," her mother meowed.

"I know..." she muttered.

Leafpool padded up to Flurrypaw's side. "You should get some rest."

Flurrypaw nodded, before exiting the den. She didn't feel like talking to Cedarpaw about what had just happened, so instead she curled up underneath some fronds of bracken at the far end of the clearing.

 _I'm going to try and stop being so controlling over my brother,_ she thought. _It's going to be hard, but I'm going to try._

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter was a bit shorter than usual. I still hope you will have enjoyed it. What do you think about Nettlebreeze's odd behavior? Do you think she's just a crazy ole' loon, or do you think her behavior has any meaning behind it? Also, thank you so much for reviewing/favoring/following! It makes me smile to see that you all are enjoying my story so much.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Viperpaw hated Flurrypaw.

No, Viperpaw hated _everyone_ in ThunderClan.

Perhaps she was overreacting to the whole situation, but right now she didn't care. She had been yelled, judged, and ridiculed her entire life, and now she had had enough. Why did everyone judge her for who her parents where? Why did it even _matter_? And why did Flurrypaw feel the need to be so hostile towards her, just because Viperpaw had been talking to Cedarpaw? Was it a crime to talk to Cedarpaw? No.

She was done caring what any cat thought of her, and she was done giving her allegiance to ThunderClan. She would still live among their ranks, but her loyalty would be to herself and no one else. They didn't deserve her loyalty after everything they had done to her.

Sighing, she curled up between the roots of an oak. Where were her parents at? Surely they'd be out looking for her?

 _No,_ she thought bitterly. _They don't care._

After about an hour, Viperpaw got tired of sitting in the forest. It was too close to camp for her comfort. The black she-cat stood up and padded through the forest, unsure of where she was really going. Before she knew it, she had reached the moorlands.

Not wanting to be stopped by a WindClan patrol, Viperpaw sniffed the air before ducking down in the grass. Slowly, she crept through the tall grasses before pausing at the edge of the Twolegs place. She had never been so close to the Twolegs place before in her life. _It won't hurt to explore a little,_ she thought.

Cautiously, the walked into the unfamiliar setting. The ground underpaw changed from tough grass to hard black stone, making her wince.

"Who are you?"

Viperpaw jumped at the sound of the voice. Looking up, she spotted an unfamiliar tom standing a few fox-lengths away from her. He was a dark brown tabby with medium length fur, and large green eyes.

"Who are you?" he repeated, blinking.

"Why do you care?" Viperpaw retorted, narrowing her eyes. She then unsheathed her claws, ready for a fight.

The tom blinked at her again. "Whoa! No need to bring your claws out. I'm only asking 'cause I've never seen you around here before. My name is Shadow. What's yours?" he asked.

Viperpaw stared at him for a few seconds, wondering whether or not she should introduce herself. Puffing out her chest she meowed, "My name is Viper." She decided to not tell him her full name, in case he was hostile towards Clan cats. As a kit, her mother had told her that not all of the kittypets in the area were so welcome to Clan cats. Some kittypets even resorted to attacking patrols. Of course, not _all_ of them were like this, as some of them had been recruited by the Clans, but she wasn't taking any chances.

"Nice to meet you," Shadow purred. "Did you and your housefolk just move here?"

"No... I'm a rogue," she lied.

Shadow nodded. "Oh, I see. You're awfully little to be living on your own. Do your parents look after you? Or perhaps an older littermate?"

Viperpaw was silent for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Finally she replied, "I live with my parents, but I'm not dependent on them if that's what you mean."

"What about your littermates?" he asked.

"I don't have any littermates," Viperpaw muttered. Glancing at the sky, she realized it was getting dark. "I need to get going."

Shadow frowned. "Really? That's too bad... I hope we can run into each other again! Goodbye, Viper."

Viperpaw nodded, before turning back for the moorlands. From there, she headed in the direction of the forest. By the time she reached the familiar oaks, the sun was setting and crickets were chirping. _I hope I don't run into any foxes or badgers,_ she thought.

Suddenly the undergrowth rustled, causing her to jump. To her relief, Snowfeather and Daisy padded out.

"There you are!" Daisy cried, rushing to her side. "The entire Clan has been worried sick about you."

"Are you okay?" Snowfeather asked, his eyes wide with worry.

Viperpaw nodded. "I'm fine. Where are my parents? A-are they looking for me?" She gulped, afraid to hear the answer. What if her parents _weren't_ looking for her?

"Of course they are. They're extremely worried about you," Daisy answered.

"Even Spiderleg?"

"Even Spiderleg," Daisy replied, before padding back towards the direction of camp. Viperpaw followed after her, with Snowfeather on their heels.

"When you didn't come back in the first hour, we had thought a fox or a badger had gotten you," her uncle spoke up.

"I'm fine. Honestly, you guys don't have to worry about me like I'm some newborn kit," Viperpaw retorted harshly. "I'm six moons old, which means I'm old enough to look after myself."

Snowfeather rolled his eyes. "That's what they all say," he muttered under his breath.

Finally they reached camp. As soon as Viperpaw padded through the camp entrance, she was met by a crowd of panicked cats.

"Where have you been?" her mother shrieked, covering her in licks.

"I just needed some air," she meowed, pulling away.

Soon the panic died down, and the cats began to slip into their dens. As Viperpaw padded towards the apprentices den, she was intercepted by Hollystorm.

"Why did you leave like that?" her mentor demanded.

"Because I felt like it," Viperpaw snapped, not in the mood for this conversation. Didn't Hollystorm realize that Flurrypaw had hurt her feelings?

"'Because you felt like it?' Are you kidding me! We had a training session this afternoon, you know. Now we're going to be a day behind. Just great," her mentor growled.

Viperpaw glared at her. "I'm not in the mood for this conversation. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." Without waiting for an answer, she pushed past Hollystorm and stormed into her den. Curling up in her nest, she shut her eyes.

Hollystorm raced into the den, fuming. "Get up right now!"

"No!" she hissed.

Hollystorm narrowed her green eyes in disgust, before padding up to Viperpaw's nest. Without warning, the older she-cat hauled her apprentice up by the scruff, causing Viperpaw to shriek. "Don't you dare talk to me like that again! Is that clear?"

"I'll talk to you however I want," Viperpaw declared, not caring whether she got into trouble. What was the point? Her Clanmates already thought she was trouble, so she might as well live up to all of their expectations.

Suddenly, Hollystorm raked her claws across Viperpaw's cheek.

Shrinking back, Viperpaw stared up at her mentor, eyes wide. "Did... you..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Heart pounding, she squeezed past Hollystorm and crouched in the middle of the camp clearing. Her cheek stung, and she could feel blood welling on the wound.

"What in the name of StarClan is going on here?" Bramblestar roared, padding out of his den.

"I think you need to have a talk with my apprentice," Hollystorm snarled, before walking out of camp.

Bramblestar watched her go, a glum expression on his face. Turning back to Viperpaw he muttered, "Follow me." Without checking to see if she'd follow, he turned and padded back into his den.

Slowly, Viperpaw followed after him.

"Take a seat," he ordered her.

Nodding, she sat down a few spaces from his nest.

"Would you like to tell me what's going on?" Bramblestar questioned, narrowing his eyes.

Without even thinking, Viperpaw spilled the entire story to him, starting with her confrontation with Flurrypaw all the way to where Hollystorm clawed her face.

Bramblestar let out a deep sigh. Finally he meowed, "Before I begin, let me just tell you that neither Flurrypaw or Hollystorm were right in what they did," he started off, "but your behavior is just as appalling. Viperpaw, I know it's hard to be judged by your Clanmates, but you have to show some respect. You can't just go around disrespecting everyone just because you're in a bad mood."

Viperpaw stared down at her paws. "I'm sorry... I-I just can't take it anymore! Everywhere I go, cats are judging and staring at me, as though I'm foxdung."

"I know the feeling," Bramblestar muttered. "I too was judged as a young tom, simply because my father was Tigerstar. Every cat thought I'd grow up to follow in his pawsteps, even Firestar."

"How did you cope?" she squeaked.

"It was hard, but I was able to overcome it by showing every cat that I was _not_ my father. I was my own cat," he answered. Looking up he added, "I think I have an idea that could help you."

"What is it?" she whispered.

"Perhaps I should take over mentoring you. I usually don't do things like this, but due to the circumstances, I think this could be for the best," her leader replied.

Viperpaw blinked. Bramblestar was offering to mentor her? She was silent, unsure of what to say. Despite the fact that Hollystorm was as prickly as a holly tree, there were some defining qualities about her mentor. For one thing, Hollystorm was very smart. She was also an excellent hunter and tracker, both of which were very important skills to have. Viperpaw then wondered if Hollystorm even _liked_ her, and what she would feel when Bramblestar told her he would be taking over her apprenticeship.

"What will Hollystorm say?" Viperpaw finally spoke up.

Bramblestar's gaze softened. "I'm sure she won't mind, Viperpaw. She'll understand that this is for the best."

"O-okay then. I want to try this out," the young she-cat mewed.

The dark tabby tom nodded. "All right. We will start your training tomorrow. Oh, and Viperpaw? Don't think you're getting off easy for your behavior. You're still punished. I expect you to look after the elders for the next moon, which means you'll be cleaning out their bedding, getting rid of fleas and ticks, and making sure they're happy."

Viperpaw grimaced. "Fine." Padding out of the den, she decided to speak to Brightheart and Millie about this news. Poking her head inside, she realized that Brightheart was alone in the den.

"Hello?" her grandmother called out.

"It's me, Viperpaw." She took a seat next to the ginger-and-white she-cat. "As punishment for," she gulped, " _today_ , I have been assigned to care for you and Millie for the next moon. I just thought I'd let you know."

Brightheart's gaze softened. "Okay. I'll tell Millie when she gets back. She's visiting Lilyheart and Bumblestripe's kits right now."

Viperpaw nodded. "All right. Well, I'm going to head out. I-I've had a really long day."

After saying her goodbye to Brightheart, Viperpaw padded towards the apprentices den. It was empty when she padded inside, so she took advantage of that. Plopping down, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

 **I know that things are moving a bit slow right now, but I promise the story will start to pick up in the next couple of chapters. I'm just taking the time to establish each character's personality and role in the story before I take off with the main part of the story. But like I said, it will be here soon, so don't worry! :)**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Dark clouds hovered in the sky, indicating a storm was approaching.

Sighing, Pantherpaw continued to push his way through the tall grass in search of prey. _I hope I can find something before the rain starts to fall,_ he thought. Like most cats, Pantherpaw despised getting wet, so he wasn't happy to know that fat rain clouds were looming over his head, threatening to spill at any second.

"Scent anything?" he called to Hootclaw.

The dark gray tom shook his head. "I thought I had picked up the scent of a quail, but I lost it."

Pantherpaw frowned, before turning to look at his denmate, Puddlepaw. "What about you?"

"I think I scented some mice over there," the young she-cat replied. "Come on. Let's see if we can catch some!"

Pantherpaw nodded eagerly, before following Puddlepaw deeper into the grass. Shortly after, the scent of mice over came Pantherpaw. "There must be a nest around here," he mewed.

Puddlepaw nodded and began sniffing around at the ground. She then beckoned Pantherpaw over with the flick of her tail. "I think there's a whole nest of them down here," she whispered, pointing to a small hole in the grass.

"Should we reach in and try to catch as many as we can?" he whispered back.

Puddlepaw nodded. "Well, how else are we going to catch them? I'll reach down and get them, and you stay back in case any escape."

"You're faster than I am," Pantherpaw argued, "so why don't you stay back and catch the ones that escape?"

"Your paws are too big to fit down the hole," Puddlepaw argued. Without waiting for a reply, she stuck her paw into the hole. "I got one!" she squealed a few moments later. After a few minutes of reaching down the whole, Puddlepaw scooped her paw out. In her claws sat three plump mice.

"Good job!" Pantherpaw praised. Looking around, he realized that none of the mice had run out.

"I guess I scared them deeper into their burrow," Puddlepaw said. She then tossed Pantherpaw one of the mice, before heading back to Hootclaw.

When they met up with Hootclaw, Elmclaw had arrived as well. "Congratulations," Elmclaw praised.

"Thanks!" Pantherpaw and Puddlepaw mewed.

The patrol continued on the hunt, alert for any signs of prey. Eventually they had to return back to camp, as it had began to rain. By the time they reached camp, they had managed to add a rabbit and another mouse to their catches.

Dropping his prey onto the fresh-kill pile, Pantherpaw headed towards the apprentices den. As Pantherpaw padded into the den, he saw that Webpaw and Graypaw were all ready inside.

"Hey," Webpaw greeted happily. Graypaw quietly muttered a greeting.

Pantherpaw sat down in his nest and began licking the water from his fur. "Hello. How was your day?"

"My day was great." Webpaw smiled, her amber eyes twinkling. "What about yours?"

"Same as every day," he replied, cracking at a few fleas.

"Is that good or bad?" Webpaw laughed.

"Good."

The tortoiseshell she-cat let out a happy purr. "Well, I'm glad you're having a good day. What did you catch today?"

"I caught two mice," Pantherpaw meowed. Once his pelt was done, he eyed the fresh-kill pile. His stomach was growling with hunger, but he didn't want to risk going back out into the rain-soaked clearing.

"I'll get you something if you'd like," she offered.

Pantherpaw shook his head. "No, I can get it myself," he declined. The dark gray tom then raced out of the den and towards the fresh-kill pile. As he walked, fat raindrops hit his pelt. Quickly, he grabbed a sparrow and headed back for the den. Once inside, he curled up in his nest and began plucking the feathers from the dead bird.

"Tomorrow Crouchfoot is taking me to train with some SkyClan apprentices. D-do you want to come with me? I mean, if Elmclaw lets you," Webpaw asked.

Pantherpaw nodded. "That would be great!" It would be nice to be able to train with the SkyClan apprentices. After all, he hadn't gotten the opportunity to train with any cats outside of his Clan just yet.

Webpaw smiled. "Okay. Well, I hope Elmclaw says yes."

"Me too," he agreed, swallowing the last of his sparrow.

Webpaw then stood up and padded out of the den, leaving Pantherpaw and Graypaw alone.

* * *

The sun was just rising in the horizon as Pantherpaw and the others made their way towards the training spot. As he walked, dew soaked his pelt, causing him to groan.

"Don't worry, you'll be dry before you know it," Webpaw mewed.

Pantherpaw shrugged. "I hope."

When they reached the training spot, the four cats sat down and waited for the SkyClan cats. As they waited, Pantherpaw climbed up onto a small boulder and began licking his fur, hoping he would be able to get most of the moisture out before the other apprentices arrived.

"How long do you think it'll take them to get here?" Elmclaw asked Crouchfoot.

The ginger tom shrugged. "I don't know. Hopefully they'll be here soon."

When he was done grooming his fur, Pantherpaw gazed around at his surroundings. All around him was rolling moorland, covered in tall grass and wildflowers. Up ahead he could see how the ground dipped in to make a gorge, and then the forests that surrounded the gorge. All of these landscapes were covered in life, and it amazed him.

Somewhere a kit was opening it's eyes for the very first time, or going out of the nursery for the first time.

In another place a queen was discovering that she was going to have kits.

Deep underground rabbits and moles were burrowing through the ground, while birds chirped above head.

There was so much life, and yet also so much death. In a split second, one event could rip the lives of so many innocent creatures away. It scared Pantherpaw to think that if a forest fire or a flood ever occurred that it would kill several cats and other animals. Or if a battle were to break out, several cats could lose their lives.

Pantherpaw silently wished that he would never become one of those cats to die in a battle or in a natural disaster. He wanted to live to be an elder, but of course that wasn't up to him. Once StarClan decided his time was up, he would go to join their ranks.

"Here they come," Elmclaw yowled.

Looking up, Pantherpaw realized he could see four cats running towards them.

"I hope you haven't been waiting too long," a gray-and-white tom said.

Crouchfoot shook his head. "Only a few minutes," he replied.

The gray-and-white tom dipped his head. "Thank StarClan! We could have arrived here faster, but Sunpaw stepped on a thorn along the way."

"That's okay, Waspwhisker. Let's get started," Elmclaw spoke up.

Pantherpaw nodded and climbed down from the boulder he was sitting on. As he waited for the older cats to explain what they'd be doing, he eyed the other apprentices. Judging by their appearances, he guessed they were sisters.

One of the she-cats had long golden fur and blue eyes, while the other one was smaller and had long dark ginger fur.

"Since the sun is out today, I was thinking we could practice using the sun to our advantage in battle," Crouchfoot began. "Before I show you how to do this, we should split up into two groups: Webpaw, Sparkpaw, Sandybreeze and I will be the attacking group. Waspwhisker, Elmclaw, Sunpaw and Pantherpaw will be the group who is attacked." Crouchfoot then flicked his tail for the latter to go stand on top of a small hill.

As Pantherpaw padded towards the spot, he could now feel the sun burning into his back. Sitting down, he turned to look back at Crouchfoot. To his surprise, the sun was blocking his view.

"I can't-"

Suddenly, he was pinned to the ground. Looking up, he realized that Webpaw had pinned him.

"Good job!" Crouchfoot praised. Looking at Pantherpaw he meowed, "See? The sun blocked your view, giving Webpaw the advantage. It's hard defending yourself when you can't see, so this view is excellent for the moorland."

Webpaw stepped off of Pantherpaw and then smirked.

"I want to try!" Sparkpaw squealed.

Sandybreeze nodded. "Go ahead."

Sparkpaw then leaped at Sunpaw, who couldn't see the attack coming. Sunpaw let out a surprised yowl as her sister came crashing into her.

As Sparkpaw climbed off, Sunpaw let out an annoyed hiss. "That really hurt!"

Sparkpaw frowned. "Sorry..."

Pantherpaw chuckled. _I wish I had my littermates here to train with,_ he thought. He then glanced over at Webpaw, who was giving her chest a few quick licks. _I'm so glad she's here with me. She's my best friend._

* * *

Pantherpaw limped back to camp, feeling exhausted. He had trained with the other apprentices til sunset, and now he felt as though he were going to collapse.

"Pantherpaw!" a voice hissed.

Pantherpaw paused and looked around. Who was calling his name?

"Pantherpaw! Over here," the voice hissed again.

The dark gray tom then realized that Flurrypaw was calling him. Glancing at his Clan mates, he quickly slipped away. Crouching in front of the bracken he asked, "Flurrypaw! What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" Why was his sister hiding like this?

"Look, I need you to meet me here tomorrow," his sister meowed quickly.

"Why?"

"Viperpaw and I are going to have a fight, and we want you to come," Flurrypaw responded.

Pantherpaw's blue eyes widened. "A fight? What? Why?!" So many questions came spilling out of his mouth at once. Why would Flurrypaw be fighting against Viperpaw? What was going on back at ThunderClan?

"Don't ask any questions. Just meet me here at sunset, okay? I'll be expecting you," Flurrypaw said, before rushing off.

* * *

 **Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've had a lot going on lately, so I just haven't had the motivation. I will try to update more frequently in the future. Also, thank you for all the reviews. It means a lot to me, and I hope that you all are enjoying the story. I promise things will pick up in the next chapter.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Flurrypaw padded into camp with a sparrow in her jaws.

"Take that to Lilyheart," Squirrelflight ordered as she walked by.

Flurrypaw nodded and carried her catch over to the nursery. Just outside, Daisy and her two sons were basking in the sunlight. "Hello!" the young apprentice greeted as she passed.

Daisy dipped her head in greetings, as did her two tiny kits.

Squeezing inside the nursery, Flurrypaw saw that Lilyheart and two of her kits were asleep. Branchkit, on the other paw, was wide awake. The fluffy gray tom was batting at his mother's tail as it twitched in her sleep.

"Hi!" the little tom squeaked.

Flurrypaw smiled at him. "Hey there, Branchkit."

Branchkit eyed the sparrow before replying, "Is that for me?"

"No. This is for your mother," she explained, carefully nudging Lilyheart awake.

As Lilyheart sat up, Branchkit asked, "Can I have some?"

"You're too little," his mother replied slowly, before taking a bite out of the bird. As Lilyheart ate, her kits watched her.

"When can we eat fresh-kill?" Dapplekit asked, her blue eyes wide.

"Not for a while. You're only a few weeks old," Lilyheart replied, taking another bite from the bird.

As Flurrypaw watched her eat, she realized that she had chores to do. "I have to go. See you around," she meowed. Once she was out of the nursery, Flurrypaw looked around for either Dovewing or Squirrelflight. To her annoyance, neither of them were around.

 _I'll go clean out the apprentices den,_ she thought. Flurrypaw padded over to her den and began bundling up the old nests. As she worked, the entrance rustled. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted Cedarpaw.

Cedarpaw glared at her.

"Are you still mad at me?" Flurrypaw wondered, frowning.

"You got Viperpaw in trouble."

Flurrypaw rolled her eyes. "She got herself in trouble. Honestly, Cedarpaw. You can't blame me-"

Cedarpaw's eyes narrowed in disgust. "Don't act innocent," he spat. "If you wouldn't have badgered her over something so stupid, she wouldn't have gotten in trouble! Also, you need to just stay out of my business. I'm not a stupid little kit who can't make his own choices. I'm just as smart as you are, and I can do whatever I want."

Flurrypaw's eyes widened. Cedarpaw had never yelled at her like that before. "I...I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'm just trying to look out for you."

"You're not looking out for me. You're looking out for _yourself_!" her brother growled, before stalking out of the den.

Flurrypaw watched him go. _What have I done?_ She thought sadly. She hadn't meant to cause so much trouble. She was just scared that her family would fall apart, just like the other families had. Was it such a crime that she didn't want to lose her brother?

Sighing, Flurrypaw quickly got rid of the dirty moss. She then padded over to the medicine cat den to get more. Inside, Jayfeather and Leafpool were organizing their herbs.

"I'm here to get moss," she said quietly.

"You know where it's at," her mother meowed, not taking her eyes off the herbs she was sorting.

Flurrypaw nodded and grabbed a bundle of moss. As she walked out of the den, she brushed up against her kin before heading back to her own den. Inside, she laid out enough moss for four nests.

"What are you doing?" Dovewing wondered, padding into the den.

"Just laying out some new nests," she explained.

Dovewing nodded. "Ah, I see. Squirrelflight wants us to accompany a hunting patrol with Mousewhisker, Tigerheart and Lionblaze. They're all ready waiting for us, so we need to get going."

Flurrypaw nodded and followed her mentor towards the camp entrance. Just as Dovewing had said, the three toms were all ready waiting for them.

"All ready to go?" Lionblaze asked.

"Yes," Dovewing replied, following the toms out into the forest.

As they walked, Flurrypaw scented the air for any signs of prey. To her luck, she picked up the scent of a vole close by. She quickly scanned the forest for the tiny creature, before finally spotting it close to a birch tree. Dropping into the hunters crouch, Flurrypaw pulled herself towards the vole. Once she was close enough, she leaped on it, killing it.

"Good catch!" Lionblaze called.

"Thanks." Flurrypaw puffed out her chest, glad to have been praised by her older brother.

"Bury your catch and we'll continue on our way," Dovewing instructed.

Flurrypaw quickly scraped earth over her catch, before following the patrol deeper into the forest. As they walked, each cat searched for prey.

After a while, Lionblaze paused. "I smell a rabbit close by," he whispered.

"I do too," Mousewhisker said.

Together the two toms padded into the undergrowth, searching for the rabbit. A few moments later, a loud squeal was heard. After that Lionblaze and Mousewhisker appeared with the rabbit in their jaws.

"We should head back to camp," Mousewhisker suggested. "After that rabbit squealed so loud, all the prey that was around here will have been scared off."

"Mouse-dung." Tigerheart muttered. "I was hoping to sink my claws into a fat, juicy squirrel."

"There's always tomorrow," Dovewing meowed to her mate. "And even if you don't catch a fat, juicy squirrel, there's always the chance that you'll find one at tomorrow night's Full Moon Meal."

Flurrypaw blinked. "There's a Gathering tomorrow?" Had it already been a moon since the last Gathering? It couldn't be!

"Leafpool says tomorrow is a very special day," Mousewhisker spoke up. "There's going to be two full moons in one moon!"

Flurrypaw's eyes widened in surprise. She had never heard of such a thing. "StarClan must have something special planned for us tomorrow," she meowed.

Lionblaze nodded. "I won't miss this Gathering for anything!" the golden tom yowled. "I bet StarClan will come down from the skies and thank us for settling down at the gorge and living in peace."

Mousewhisker looked a bit skeptical. "You really think so?"

Lionblaze nodded. "Of course. After all, why else would their be two full moons in one moon? It had to be something special."

As they headed back to camp, Flurrypaw dug up her catch. Once they arrived back at camp, she dropped her prey onto the fresh-kill pile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Viperpaw scowling at her. _I need to apologize,_ Flurrypaw thought.

"What do you want?" Viperpaw spat as Flurrypaw neared.

"I want to apologize," Flurrypaw said.

"Don't waste your breath, because your apology won't be accepted," Viperpaw retorted, stalking into the apprentices den.

 _Why you little furball!_ Flurrypaw thought madly. She immediately followed Viperpaw into the den. "I'm trying to be nice to you," she growled.

"You weren't so nice to me earlier when you were threatening me over something so stupid!" the black she-cat hissed, curling up in her nest.

Flurrypaw narrowed her eyes angrily. Why couldn't Viperpaw just accept her apology? "Fine then!" she snapped. The white-and-gray she-cat turned and headed towards the den entrance, but right as she was about to walk out, she paused. "You know what?"

No answer.

"Maybe the reason why no one likes you is because you have a bad attitude. You always act like every cat is out to get you, but everyone is nothing but nice to you. You're always yelling at other cats, and it's annoying." When no reply came, Flurrypaw turned around to see if Viperpaw was going to react.

To her surprise, Viperpaw sat there with her head low. "Thanks a lot," the she-cat muttered sarcastically. Looking up, Viperpaw snarled, "And maybe the reason why no one likes you is because you're a control freak. You go around trying to control everything everyone does, because you act like we're all too stupid to make our own choices. Face it Flurrypaw, you are a trouble maker. You go around making trouble all the time, and for what price? Just look at what you've done!"

Flurrypaw drew her lips back in a snarl. Without thinking, she leaped at Viperpaw. "You little fox-heart!"

Viperpaw kicked her off. "I don't want to fight you," she coughed.

"Why? Are you too scared to fight me?"

"It's stupid!" Viperpaw screamed. "All of this is so stupid! There's better things to fight about than this. Honestly, we should just put this all behind us! I won't talk to you if you won't talk to me. Deal?"

Flurrypaw was silent for a few minutes. "No. We need to sort this out one last time. Tomorrow while the Clans are away at the Full Moon Meal, you, me, Cedarpaw and Pantherpaw can meet up and talk about this."

Viperpaw stared at Flurrypaw. "Why do we need to drag Pantherpaw into this?" she questioned.

"Because he's my brother," Flurrypaw replied.

"Fine," Viperpaw muttered. "But after tomorrow night, I'm done dealing with this."

Flurrypaw nodded. "We've got a deal then." Glancing out at the sky, she realized that she needed to go meet up with Pantherpaw to tell him what was going on. Without saying another word to Viperpaw, Flurrypaw squeezed out of the den and raced into the forest.

As she ran for WindClan's territory, she realized that the sun was sinking in the sky. _I've got to hurry!_ She thought. Breaking out into a sprint, Flurrypaw raced for WindClan's land. After a while, she reached the moor.

Scenting the air, she tried to pick up the scent of Pantherpaw. To her annoyance, she couldn't smell him anywhere. _Please be out here!_ She thought.

Finally she spotted her brother's familiar dark pelt as he padded through the undergrowth. Ducking down so that no other WindClan cats would see her, Flurrypaw called out, "Pantherpaw!"

When her brother didn't spot her, she called out, "Pantherpaw! Over here."

Pantherpaw quickly rushed up to her. "Flurrypaw! What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" As he spoke, Pantherpaw's blue eyes were wide with fear.

"Look, I need you to meet me here tomorrow," Flurrypaw quickly meowed.

"Why?"

Flurrypaw just frowned. "Viperpaw and I are going to have a fight, and we want you to come," she explained.

Pantherpaw's eyes widened. "A fight? What? Why?!"

 _This is not the time to be asking so many questions,_ Flurrypaw thought. The rest of the WindClan patrol was close by, and if they caught her talking with Pantherpaw, her plan wouldn't work out. They would either force her to stay all night which would make ThunderClan worry, or they would send her back to camp where she would get into trouble for leaving camp without Dovewing. Either way, she would get into trouble.

"Don't ask any questions. Just meet me here at sunset, okay? I'll be expecting you," she replied, before darting off into the tall grass.

By the time Flurrypaw had reached the forest, the sun was completely down. Her heart began to beat faster as she walked. _I hope I don't run into any badgers or foxes,_ she thought.

As the wind rattled the tree branches above her head, Flurrypaw began to grow more and more scared. To her relief, she spotted to ThunderClan camp entrance close by.

As she padded towards the entrance, Berrynose stopped her. "What are you doing out of camp by yourself?"

"I-I was sick," she lied. "And I didn't want any other cat to watch me throw up, so I went to do it in private. A-and the Dirt Place would have made it worse." _Please don't suspect anything!_

Berrynose's expression remained stoic. "I hope you feel better," he finally meowed, stepping aside.

Flurrypaw dipped her head in thanks, before squeezing past the tom. Quietly, she padded into the apprentices den where Cedarpaw, Stonepaw and Viperpaw were all ready fast asleep.

 _Let this issue be settled once and for all,_ Flurrypaw silently prayed, before settling down in her own nest. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

* * *

 **Next chapter is where all the drama will begin! What do you think will happen at the "fight"? Also, do you think Flurrypaw was right when she said StarClan had something special in store for the Clans? Thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot to me. :)**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"I wish you were coming with us," Amberclaw said, frowning.

Viperpaw frowned as well. _If it weren't for Flurrypaw and Hollystorm, I could have gone._ "I wish I could go too, but I can't."

"We promise we'll tell you everything!" her mother promised, looking at Spiderleg. "Isn't that right?"

Spiderleg nodded. "Yes," he agreed half-heartedly.

Noticing her mate's tone of voice, Amberclaw asked, "What's wrong? You don't look very happy."

"I just hate that gorge is all!" Spiderleg groaned. "The rocks hurt my paws."

"I'll take care of you," Amberclaw purred, before padding in the direction of the camp entrance. Spiderleg let out a small chuckle, before padding after her. As the ThunderClan cats waited for Bramblestar to announce their departure, the dark tabby tom headed for Viperpaw.

"Lilyheart is attending the Gathering tonight, so while she's gone I would like you to watch after her kits," Bramblestar ordered.

Viperpaw's eyes widened. "Why can't Daisy do it?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I want you to do it," her mentor replied.

Viperpaw frowned. "Fine," she huffed.

Bramblestar smiled, before padding towards the group of warriors that had collected by the camp entrance. Once they left, Flurrypaw and Cedarpaw padded up to Viperpaw's side.

"Ready to go?" Flurrypaw whispered.

Viperpaw shook her head. "I can't go. Bramblestar wants me to stay here and watch Lilyheart's kits."

Flurrypaw's eyes widened. "You have to come!" she argued. "Otherwise this problem will never be resolved. Can't you just ask Daisy to watch the kittens?"

"No," Viperpaw said.

"Perhaps you could pretend to be sick?" Flurrypaw suggested.

Viperpaw just frowned. "I can't go, okay?" Without saying another word, she headed towards the nursery. Inside, Lilyheart's three kits were curled up fast asleep. Glancing at Daisy, who was also fast asleep, Viperpaw decided she wasn't needed.

"Fine. I'll come with you," she said to Flurrypaw.

Flurrypaw smiled. "Great!" she purred, before heading in the direction of the Dirt Place.

As they walked around the edge of the Dirt Place, Viperpaw wrinkled her nose. _How disgusting,_ she thought. Finally the three cats made it to the other side, were they crawled through a bramble bush to get into the forest.

"We need to hurry if we're going to make it by sunset," Flurrypaw ordered, breaking into a run.

Viperpaw raced after her, slightly regretting her choice.

"I'm sorry for what Flurrypaw has done," Cedarpaw meowed. "She's made a mountain out of a mole hill, and because of this you have to suffer."

"It's okay," she responded.

Cedarpaw shook his head. "It's not okay."

Viperpaw just shrugged, unsure of what else to say. Before long, the three ThunderClan apprentices arrived at the moor just as the sun was starting to set. As they waited for Pantherpaw to arrive, a rumble of thunder sounded overhead.

"I didn't know it was going to storm," she commented.

"Neither did I," Cedarpaw agreed. "Perhaps we should just forget about this whole thing and head home?"

Flurrypaw narrowed her eyes at her brother. "Absolutely not. We are going to put an end to this! Besides, here comes Pantherpaw."

Looking up, Viperpaw realized Flurrypaw was right. Pantherpaw was running towards them.

When he arrived he immediately asked, "Can someone please explain to me what's going on?"

Cedarpaw jumped to his paws. "I'd be more than happy to tell you," he offered, before glaring at Flurrypaw. Without waiting for a reply he growled, "Flurrypaw is a control freak. After finding out about my crush on Viperpaw, she had a temper tantrum which resulted in Viperpaw getting into trouble."

"I didn't throw a temper tantrum! I was just worried about you," Flurrypaw interrupted.

"Why are you worried about me? Huh? Why?!" Cedarpaw demanded, his neck fur bristling.

"I just... I don't want you to make any wrong choices," she replied.

Cedarpaw rolled his eyes. "Can't you see I'm old enough to make my own choices? I'm not some pathetic kit who still depends on it's mother. Stop trying to control my life, and stop saying you're worried about your family abandoning you as an excuse. Perhaps if the borders were still intact things would be different, but cats are free to roam as they chose. Things are different than they were back at the lake."

Before Flurrypaw could speak, Pantherpaw meowed, "I agree with Cedarpaw. You need to let him chose his own destiny. We don't try to control your destiny, so why do you try to control ours?"

"I-I just don't want our family to fall apart is all!" Flurrypaw wailed. "We've all heard the stories about the hardships our family has faced in the past, and I don't want it to return to that state. I want us all to be a close, loving family."

"We _are_ close," Pantherpaw argued, "and we always will be. Just because I've moved to WindClan, or because Cedarpaw has a crush, doesn't mean that will change. Instead of focusing on the bad in life, why don't you focus on the good? For example, look at Bramblestar and Tawnypelt! While they may be apart of different Clans, they still manage to stay very close to one another, while maintaining other relationships. You need to let us chose our own paths."

A look of defeat flashed in Flurrypaw's blue eyes, but she didn't say anything.

 _You can apologize now,_ Viperpaw thought. Part of her was tempted to say that, but she decided against it.

"O-okay," Flurrypaw finally croaked. The white-and-gray she-cat simply looked down at her paws, unable to meet her companion's eyes.

Cedarpaw then snorted. "Well, this was a complete waste of time!" he complained.

Pantherpaw shook his head in disagreement. "Not necessarily. At least we were able to end this nonsense once and for all. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my Clan."

"I don't blame you. I'm going to leave too," Cedarpaw declared, before heading towards the gorge.

Viperpaw and Flurrypaw watched the two toms go. "We should head back to camp, too." Viperpaw looked at Flurrypaw, but the she-cat was still looking down at her paws.

Finally, Flurrypaw nodded. "Okay," she whispered, finally standing to her paws.

Without waiting for Flurrypaw, Viperpaw stood up and raced towards the forest. As she ran, she noticed that dark clouds were gathering in the sky. _It looks like the Gathering is going to be canceled,_ she realized. _If that's the case, I really need to get back to camp before Bramblestar does!_

"Viperpaw! Please wait," Flurrypaw cried.

Viperpaw skidded to a halt, before spinning around to see her Clanmate. "What?" she snapped a little to harshly.

"My paw is caught," Flurrypaw whined. "I need your help to get it out."

Viperpaw rolled her eyes, before stalking over to Flurrypaw. There she noticed Flurrypaw's leg had been caught in some shiny mesh. "What in the name of StarClan is this?" she growled, tugging at the shiny mesh.

"Ouch! You're hurting me," Flurrypaw wailed.

Viperpaw backed away. "Sorry," she apologized. The black she-cat leaned down to get a closer look at the mesh. Upon closer examination, she realized that it was some kind of Twoleg trap. "It's a Twoleg trap," she explained to Flurrypaw, "but I don't know how to free you from it."

As Viperpaw worked to free Flurrypaw's leg, rain began to pour from the sky, soaking the she-cats. "Now what will we do?" Flurrypaw whimpered. Her trapped leg was cut and bleeding from the trap, and now it was raining.

"I-I don't know," Viperpaw confessed. "Perhaps I should get help from WindClan?"

"Maybe." Flurrypaw shrugged.

"I'll go get help, okay? I promise I will be back as soon as-" Before Viperpaw could finish, the ground underpaw began to shake violently. Viperpaw tried to catch her balance, but it was impossible.

"W-what's going on?!" Flurrypaw screeched, her blue eyes wide with fear.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm just as confused as you!" Viperpaw responded. Once again, she tried to stand to her paws, but she couldn't. Shutting her eyes, Viperpaw prayed to StarClan that the shaking would stop. It didn't help that the storm had progressed, leaving the she-cats cold, wet, and scared.

"Viperpaw!" Flurrypaw yelped.

"What?" Viperpaw opened her eyes to stare at her Clanmate.

"L-look," she gasped.

Viperpaw followed Flurrypaw's gaze. At the edge of the forest was a tree that looked as though it was about to be dislodged. "It's going to fall right on us!" she shrieked. As best she could, Viperpaw tried to free Flurrypaw.

"I can't do it," she cried out.

"Just leave me," Flurrypaw whispered, her voice cracking.

"I can't just abandon you here to die. You're my Clanmate," Viperpaw argued.

"I've been a lousy Clanmate, though." Flurrypaw frowned.

Viperpaw ignored her request, and continued to try and free Flurrypaw. She then spotted a wooden stake sticking up out of the ground. "Help me dig the stake up," she ordered.

Flurrypaw nodded. With her one good paw, she helped Viperpaw dig around the stake. Every once and a while, she glanced back at the tree. "It's about to fall!" she yelped, digging faster.

Viperpaw nodded, also increasing her work speed. Luckily the rain softened the ground up just enough, allowing the she-cats to free the stake. "Let's go," she said, doing the best she could to get out of the trees way.

Flurrypaw nodded, and followed after her. The shaking was still going on, making the she-cats efforts extremely hard. To their relief, they were far enough out of the way come the time the tree came crashing down.

Flurrypaw immediately flopped down, panting hard.

"Let's see if we can free your paw now," Viperpaw whispered, shaken up.

Flurrypaw slowly held out her injured paw. The shiny mesh was deep in her skin, causing her to bleed severely.

Viperpaw worked to free her friend, but she didn't exactly know what to do. She herself was terrified at what had just happened. At what was _still_ happening. "StarClan, when will this horrific shaking stop?!" she wailed up at the dark sky. "Why have you allowed this to happen?"

* * *

Viperpaw's eyes fluttered open. "Wha-?"

"Viperpaw!" Flurrypaw cried out, before letting out a sigh of relief. "I thought you were dead."

"Dead?" Viperpaw sat up. "Why would I be dead? What happened?"

"You were yelling up at the sky, and then next thing I knew you were out cold. I thought StarClan had killed you as punishment for yelling at them," Flurrypaw confessed.

"I-I'm okay," Viperpaw replied, looking around at her surroundings. To her relief, the shaking had stopped. It was still raining, but not as much as it had been earlier. As she gazed at the forest, her heart stopped. Most of the trees in the forest had been knocked over. "Our camp..." she whispered. "It will have been destroyed!"

Flurrypaw frowned, but didn't say anything.

"What are we going to do?" Viperpaw wailed. Her mind then drifted over to the gorge. "Oh no... Oh no! StarClan, no."

"What?" Flurrypaw asked.

"The gorge!" Viperpaw shrieked. "We need to get to the gorge immediately."

Flurrypaw's blue eyes widened in surprise as she realized what Viperpaw was talking about. "I'll never be able to make it to the gorge with my paw," she whimpered.

Viperpaw let out a hiss of annoyance. "You... You stay here then. I'll go!" Without waiting for Flurrypaw to reply, Viperpaw took off running towards the gorge. Her heart was beating fast in her chest, and she felt as though she was going to be sick. "Please let every cat be okay!"

Finally she approached the gorge. As she padded up to the edge of the gorge, she let out a gasp. The once beautiful gorge now looked like a huge pile of debris. The harsh rain had loosened several large boulders, allowing for the shaking of the earth to easily dislodge them. The trees that sat at the edge of the gorge has also been knocked down to the bottom, and were stuck in the red mud that had accumulated everywhere.

Viperpaw was too stunned to move. Why would StarClan allow for something like this to happen? Hadn't they promised Leafpool that tonight would be a night like no other? "They sent these cats to their deaths," she hissed under her breath. "They wanted them to die! And for what?" Looking up at the sky she spat, "You've killed my mother and father! I will never forgive you for this, you toothless old fools."

After Viperpaw's break down, lightning flashed across the sky. "Oh, you're mad at me, are you? Well, that's too bad! I hope you're happy that all of those innocent lives are dead because of you. I... I wish the Dark Forest would have won the Great Battle. That's how much I hate you!"

The black she-cat then collapsed on the ground, crying. "Please be a dream," she cried to herself. "Please... Please let me wake up from this dream." After a few moments, Viperpaw sat up again. "I need to return to Flurrypaw," she whispered to herself, trying to calm down.

Slowly, Viperpaw began her trek back towards her friend. How would she break this news to Flurrypaw?

"Viperpaw! You're back..." Flurrypaw trailed off when she noticed her friend's upset look. "What happened? Is every cat okay?"

"They're dead," Viperpaw croaked. "StarClan lead them to their deaths."

Flurrypaw's blue eyes grew round. "D-dead? No... They... They can't be! Please tell me you're joking. Please, Viperpaw!"

Viperpaw shook her head. "I wish this was some cruel joke, but it isn't. They're dead, Flurrypaw. Every cat down there is dead. The cats in the forest are probably dead too. A tree probably crushed them."

"What are we going to do?" the white-and-gray she-cat asked, tears falling from her eyes.

Viperpaw shrugged.

"M-maybe we should go to WindClan," Flurrypaw suggested. "After all, there are no trees there. Their camp will still be intact."

Viperpaw didn't say or do anything. She just followed after Flurrypaw towards WindClan's camp. If WindClan really was the only survivor, what would happen? Could one Clan really exist by itself? Viperpaw's stomach churned as she thought about what had just happened. Her parents were dead, and so was the rest of her Clan. Why had StarClan chosen to keep her alive? She wasn't special. If any cat deserved to live through a horrific event like this, it was her parents. They were good cats who didn't deserve to die.

Looking up at the sky, she felt her heart ache. Tonight there would be several new stars in the sky.

* * *

 **Sorry this took me a while to get up. I actually had it written out a long time ago, but I didn't like how it turned out, so I rewrote it. I really like how this chapter came out, so I'm hoping you will enjoy it too. What do you think will happen to the surviving cats? Also, do you think there are any survivors in the gorge, despite what Viperpaw thinks?**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Pantherpaw stood in the middle of the camp clearing, frozen with fear. All around him, the earth shook violently. Squeezing his eyes shut, he prayed that it would stop. To his surprise, the shaking began to ease up, before coming to a complete stop.

Eyes wide with fear, Pantherpaw slowly looked around the clearing. The thorn tree that stood at the edge of camp had fallen over and a few of the dens had fallen apart, but other than that everything seemed fine.

"Is every cat okay?" Heathertail asked, poking her head out of the warriors den.

Pantherpaw gulped. "I-I'm o-okay," he stammered, still shaking with fear.

"Are you sure?" Heathertail asked. "You look like you're about to faint."

He shook his head. "No, really, I'm fine," he insisted.

Heathertail frowned, but didn't press him any further. Instead, she turned and padded around the clearing, checking up on every cat.

"We should head down to the gorge to make sure every cat is all right," Mudwhisker suggested.

Fernsong shook her head in disagreement. "Absolutely not. It's too dangerous," she argued.

"We need to find out if our Clanmates are okay," Heathertail spoke up, agreeing with Mudwhisker. Glancing over at the dark brown tabby tom she added, "Mudwhisker, you and Pantherpaw can come with me. The rest of you should stay here."

Together, Heathertail, Mudwhisker and Pantherpaw padded towards the camp entrance. Right as they were about to start heading towards the gorge, they met up with Viperpaw and Flurrypaw.

A strong scent of blood was coming from Flurrypaw, and upon closer examination, Pantherpaw spotted a strange object trapped around his sister's leg.

"Flurrypaw! What happened?"

"I got caught in a trap," she told him.

"Go back to our camp and rest," Heathertail ordered the two them, "and I promise when we return with Kestrel-"

"Kestrelflight is dead," Viperpaw meowed in a monotone voice. "They're _all_ dead. I went to the gorge and saw it for myself. The shaking of the earth along with the rain caused a massive landslide."

Heathertail took a step back, shocked. "What?!" she hissed.

Pantherpaw stood there, just as shocked. "All the cats who attended the Gathering tonight are dead?" he finally managed to croak. _My parents, my siblings, and my friends are all_ dead? _How could this be?_

"You've got to be mistaken," Heathertail mewed. Glancing at her Clan mates she said, "Come on. Let's go." Without waiting for another reply, the lithe she-cat raced off in the direction of the gorge. Mudwhisker followed after her, but Pantherpaw hesitated for a few moments.

"They're really gone?" he asked.

Viperpaw nodded slowly.

Pantherpaw closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He didn't know how to feel. He didn't feel sad or angry. Just... numb. Opening his eyes, Pantherpaw began to run after Heathertail and Mudwhisker. With each paw step, he felt as though his body would explode. His heart was racing so fast, and his stomach was knotted up. Finally he caught up with his Clanmates, who had stopped at the gorges edge.

"She was right," Mudwhisker whispered, his eyes wide with fear. "They really are dead."

Slowly, Pantherpaw looked down at the bottom of the gorge. When he saw the state of SkyClan's camp, his heart lurched.

Viperpaw was right.

Every cat that had been down there was dead.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he breathed, backing away from the edge.

Heathertail quickly pressed up against him and murmured, "It's going to be all right. They may have escaped for all we know."

Pantherpaw just stood there, unable to move.

"Hey!" a loud voice suddenly yowled.

Pulling away from Heathertail, Pantherpaw looked up to see Bramblestar and Leafstar running towards them.

"Thank StarClan you're both alive!" Mudwhisker cried out.

Leafstar dipped her head in greetings. "We could say the same thing to you." The SkyClan leader's gaze then fluttered down to her destroyed camp. "A lot of other cats weren't so lucky."

Heathertail frowned. "What happened?"

"Earthquake," Leafstar sighed, sitting down. "My mother always warned me about them, but I had always thought they were an elder's tale." Glancing over at Bramblestar she said, "You should sit. You look exhausted."

Bramblestar ignored her request. "They lied to me," he snarled, digging his claws into the muddy ground. "They promised me that the Clans would thrive for seasons to come, but it was all a lie!"

Pantherpaw's eyes widened. He had never seen Bramblestar so angry before.

Glaring up at the sky, Bramblestar spat, "Why did you lie to me? Why did you promise that we would thrive in this new home, if you were just going to kill half of our population off? My sister is down there in that gorge! Squirrelflight is down there in that gorge. My sons are down there in that gorge!" At this point, Bramblestar was seething with anger.

"Calm down," Leafstar whispered, trying to make Bramblestar sit down.

The ThunderClan leader pulled away from her. "Can't you see, Leafstar? StarClan betrayed us!"

"Shh! Sit, please!" she urged once more.

Finally, Bramblestar did as he was told. For the next few minutes, he sat there without saying anything. Instead, he just let out shallow gasps of air.

"Maybe we should go down to the bottom of the gorge to look for survivors," Heathertail suggested.

"It's worth a shot," Leafstar said, standing up.

"How did you and Bramblestar make it out alive?" Mudwhisker asked. "We should look there to see if any more cats made it out."

"We were sitting on the Sky Rock when the earthquake happened," Leafstar responded sadly.

A look of defeat flashed across Mudwhisker's face. "Oh," he said.

Slowly, the five cats made the slow and dangerous trip down the gorges side. Since the ground was so loose and muddy, it was hard to get a good pawhold.

"Can any cat hear me?" Heathertail called out once they reached the bottom of the gorge.

"Hello! Any one there?" Mudwhisker yowled, pushing back a large branch that covered some mud.

Pantherpaw padded over to a pile of rubble and started to dig through it. Finally he hit something soft, which made his stomach churn nervously. Slowly, he pushed the last bit of rocks away, leaving behind the dead body of a light-brown she-cat. "Oh no..." he gasped, feeling sick again.

"What did you find?" Bramblestar questioned, rushing up to his side. When he saw the body he whispered, "Rushtail of RiverClan..."

Pantherpaw backed away from his find, too upset to look at it.

"Perhaps he should go back to camp?" Leafstar suggested, noticing how upset the young tom looked.

"N-no," he coughed. "I can handle it."

"Really? Because it doesn't look like it," Mudwhisker disagreed. "Really, Pantherpaw. I think you should go back to camp. If you want, I'll walk you back."

Pantherpaw sighed, before following Mudwhisker up the steep side of the gorge. As they walked home, Pantherpaw felt as though he was in a daze. By the time they reached camp, he felt like a ghost of his former self.

"Thanks," he whispered to Mudwhisker, before padding over to what remained of the apprentices den. Curling up next to his sister, Pantherpaw shut his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Pantherpaw woke up feeling smothered and hot. Opening his eyes, he realized that two cats were cuddled up against him. He quickly realized that one of the cats was his sister, Flurrypaw. For a second, he was confused on who the other cat was, but before long he recognized it as Crowfeather.

"Dad," he choked out, glad that his father had made it out of the gorge alive.

Crowfeather slowly lifted his head, before giving his son a small smile. "Pantherpaw, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he responded. "How are you? A-are you hurt?"

Crowfeather shook his head. "I've got a slight cut on my back leg, but nothing serious. Fortunately, I was able to get away from the worst of the rockslide."

"And what about mother? Where is she at?"

Crowfeather's eyes widened for a moment, before darkening. "Pantherpaw... we haven't found your mother yet."

Pantherpaw froze. His mother was still trapped under all of that debris? "We have to find her!" he whispered, shaking with fear.

The WindClan deputy placed his tail across Pantherpaw's shoulder. "Calm down. I promise we will find her."

"Find who?" Flurrypaw yawned, sitting up in her nest.

Crowfeather exchanged a look with Flurrypaw, but didn't say anything. The young she-cat quickly understood her father's gaze though, for she murmured, "Oh."

The three cats sat in silence, before Crowfeather rose to his paws. "I have to organize hunting patrols for the day," he muttered, padding out of the den.

Pantherpaw followed him, hoping hunting would get his mind off of the disaster down in the gorge. As he padded into the clearing, he realized that Bramblestar, Leafstar, and a few unfamiliar cats were sitting on the edge of the clearing. "Who are they?" he asked.

"That's Shyfur of RiverClan," Crowfeather meowed, flicking his tail towards a pale gray she-cat, "and Flameclaw of ShadowClan," he finished up, pointing at the dark ginger tom.

Pantherpaw nodded. _I feel so bad for them,_ he thought. _They must be so confused and alone. After all, they have no idea whether their Clanmates are dead or alive._ As he looked closer, he realized Shyfur looked particularly upset.

"My kits," the she-cat choked out, "I need to find my kits!"

Heathertail rubbed the she-cat's back with a paw. "You need to calm down, Shyfur. I promise you we will find your kits. After we get something to eat, I will personally accompany you to RiverClan's camp to look for them."

"I'll go too," Pantherpaw offered, padding up to them.

"T-thanks," Shyfur sniffled.

Dipping his head, he turned and padded out of camp for a quick hunt. The scent of mice overcame his nose, and before long he spotted a somewhat plump mouse sniffing around near a gorse bush.

Dropping into a hunters crouch, Pantherpaw crept up on the mouse, before leaping. The mouse let out a tiny squeal as Pantherpaw snapped its neck. As he picked up the mouse, he tasted the mouse's warm blood. It was tempting to eat, but he knew that his Clanmates had to be fed first.

As he padded back into camp, he headed straight for the nursery. Inside, Finchfoot and her kits were laying towards the back of the den. Knowing that the ginger queen didn't like other cats around her, he quickly dropped the catch and headed back out into the clearing.

"A hunting patrol just came back!" Heathertail called over to him.

Nodding, Pantherpaw rushed over to the small fresh-kill pile. There a rabbit, two mice, and a sparrow sat.

"How about we share the mice?" Heathertail suggested, grabbing them.

Pantherpaw followed her back over to where Shyfur still sat, and together the three of them shared their mice in silence.

As they ate, Crowfeather leaped up onto the Large Boulder that sat in the middle of the clearing. "As you know, tragedy has struck the Clans once more. While every cat has not been accounted for, we can assume that the death tole is high. That does not mean there are no survivors. Bramblestar, Leafstar, Shyfur, Flameclaw and I were fortunate enough to escape from the gorge with minor injuries. With that being said, I would like to send out another search party to look for survivors."

"I'll go," Flameclaw immediately offered.

"As will I," Mudwhisker said.

A chorus of offers sounded from the small crowd that had gathered around the Large Boulder. As the cries grew louder, Crowfeather said, "Thank you, everyone. I have decided I will send out two search patrols. I will lead the first one, and I will take Mudwhisker and Viperpaw. Leafstar can lead the second patrol along with Flameclaw and Fernsong."

As the cats began to finish up the prey, Heathertail, Shyfur and Pantherpaw headed towards RiverClan's camp. Their camp was nestled around the forest river, right as it was about to pour into the gorge.

"Do you think they're alive?" Shyfur whimpered, staring down at the ground.

"You have to think positive," Heathertail answered.

The rest of the walk was silent. As they neared RiverClan's camp, Pantherpaw's heart twisted with sadness. Most of the trees that surrounded the camp had fallen over due to the earthquake, leaving the entire camp looking like a mess.

Shyfur let out a gasp when she saw the sight. "Oh no!" the panicked queen cried out, running towards her camp. "Sealkit! Shrewkit! Can you hear me?" she then called out.

Heathertail frowned, but didn't say anything. Instead the light brown she-cat began to search underneath a holly bush, half crushed by a larger willow tree. "There... there's a body in here," she choked out, backing away from the bush.

Shyfur immediately raced to Heathertail's side, and together the she-cats worked to pull the dead body out from underneath the holly bush.

"That's Lakeheart," she whispered, her eyes glazed with sadness.

"What den was this?" Heathertail asked.

"The apprentices den. Lakeheart must have been making sure all of the apprentices had escaped," Shyfur said.

"It doesn't look like her efforts helped," the WindClan she-cat meowed glumly, as she pulled another body out. This time, it belonged to a much smaller she-cat. "I'm guessing this is an apprentice?"

Shyfur nodded. "Morningpaw, Lakeheart's apprentice." The pale gray RiverClan queen then hung her head sadly. "They were so nice... How could this happen to them?"

Pantherpaw felt his eyes tear up. Padding away, he began to look through some more debris. He then stumbled across a half-crushed den, where inside a queen and her kits lay motionless. "I found something," he choked out.

Shyfur padded over to him and let out a shriek. "That's Roeleap and her kits! A-are they...?"

He nodded sadly.

"Roeleap was my best friend!" Shyfur wailed. "She was the first cat to welcome me to RiverClan after I left my housefolk."

Heathertail rested her tail across Shyfur's back. "It's going to be okay," she whispered. "Now let's focus on finding your kittens. What are their names again?"

"Sealkit and Shrewkit," she replied.

Heathertail nodded. "Sealkit! Shrewkit!"

"Sealkit! Shrewkit!" Pantherpaw joined in. He padded towards the other side of the clearing and let out another call. This time, he heard a tiny mew coming from underneath the branches of a fallen oak. Peering underneath the tree, he spotted two small shapes. At first he thought they had been crushed, but he quickly realized they were alive.

"I think I found them!" he yowled.

Shyfur's eyes widened, and the queen raced over. Right away she called out, "It's them! Sealkit, Shrewkit, come here!"

Slowly, the two kits crawled out from their hiding spot and nuzzled up to their mother's stomach.

"What happened?" one of them squeaked.

"I promise I'll tell you later. For now, you must follow me to our new home," Shyfur replied.

The kits exchanged looks but didn't argue. While Shyfur worked to keep her kits distracted, Heathertail and Pantherpaw dug a hole to bury the dead bodies that had been found. Once they had covered the hole, the five cats padded back towards the moorland. As they walked, Shyfur thanked both Heathertail and Pantherpaw.

"I told you they would be all right." Heathertail smiled.

"When we get back to camp, you can share a den with Finchfoot and Doe-," he broke off, remembering that Doespots had gone down into the gorge. Would she ever make it out alive? She still had young kits to care for!

When they reached camp, Pantherpaw spotted some strange shapes huddled on the ground. At first he thought it was prey that had been collected, but he then realized they were dead bodies. As he stared closer, he felt his blood run cold.

"Pantherpaw," Crowfeather began, padding up to his son, "I'm sorry, but your mother is dead."

* * *

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I'm hoping you all will have enjoyed it as well! So far, many cats have been found dead, including Leafpool. What do you think this means for the future of the Clans? After all, there are only a few survivors that have been found (not including our three main characters). What other cats do you think will have died? Who do you think will have lived?**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Flurrypaw sat at the edge of WindClan's camp, grooming her pelt. Since neither of the medicine cats had returned, Heathertail and Fernsong had worked together to free her paw from the Twoleg trap. Afterwords, the kind she-cats had bandaged the wound up with cobweb.

Suddenly, the clearing grew silent.

Looking up, Flurrypaw could see that her father's patrol had already returned to the gorge. As they padded into camp, Flurrypaw noticed that all three cats were carrying what seemed to be...bodies?

As she looked closer, Flurrypaw's blood ran cold. There in her father's jaws was the dead body of her mother, Leafpool.

"No!" she choked out, before rushing up to her father's side. "She can't be dead!"

Crowfeather's blue eyes were glazed over with sadness, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he gently sat Leafpool's dead body down onto the ground and stared at it. "I'm sorry I failed you," he whispered, resting a paw on her cold flank.

Flurrypaw huddled beside him, stunned. Suddenly she asked, "Where is Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Cedarpaw?"

Crowfeather shrugged. "I don't know."

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. _What if my brothers are dead too?_ Looking down at her paws, Flurrypaw let out a small whimper. She couldn't bare to think that her three were possibly trapped under piles of rubble, dead.

After a few moments, Flurrypaw managed to look up to see who the other two bodies had belonged to. After a few minutes of looking over the cats, she came to the conclusion that the bodies belonged to Birchfall and Dewfrost.

Suddenly, the sound of mewling kits alerted Flurrypaw. Glancing over at the camp entrance, she spotted Heathertail, Shyfur and her brother padding into camp with two small kits.

For a moment, Pantherpaw stared at the dead bodies with a confused expression. Finally, his blue eyes widened with horror.

"Pantherpaw," Crowfeather said, walking over to his son, "I'm sorry, but your mother is dead."

"What? No..." the young tom trailed off.

Flurrypaw quickly limped over to her brothers side and pressed up against him, hoping to comfort him.

Instead, Pantherpaw jerked away. "She's just sleeping," he choked out. "She's going to wake up any minute now."

Flurrypaw frowned. She knew her brother didn't believe that. After all, he had seen his fair share of death before. Growing up, the two of them had watched Sandstorm, Dustpelt and Graystripe all die from old age and sickness.

Pantherpaw slowly padded over to his mother's side and placed a paw on her cold flank. "Wake up," he choked out. "Please."

"Come away," Fernsong murmured, attempting to nudge the gray tom away.

Pantherpaw hissed at her. "No! She's my mother and I won't leave her."

Flurrypaw shut her eyes, wishing she could do something to comfort her brother. She couldn't think of anything, though. After all, she was hurting too. She could barely cope with the idea that her mother was dead. _I feel like I hardly had time to spend time with her,_ she thought sadly.

When she opened her eyes, Flurrypaw saw that Crowfeather was leading Pantherpaw away from Leafpool's body. The she-cat then stood up and slowly padded over to her mother's body and sat down beside it. There she reached out and went to gently pet her mother's side. As she placed her paw down, she immediately recoiled. She had expected her mother's body to be soft to the touch, but instead it felt hollow and stiff.

Backing away from the body, Flurrypaw headed after her brother. She was beginning to feel sick to her stomach, and she didn't know what to do. Her mind then wandered back to her brothers. Part of her wanted to admit that they had possibly survived, but deep down she knew it was nearly impossible.

Her family really _was_ falling apart, and there was nothing she could do to save it.

* * *

Flurrypaw slowly blinked open her eyes. Sitting up, she realized that it was now night. _I must have fallen asleep,_ she thought groggily. Padding out of the apprentices den, she realized that a burial ceremony was going on.

Fernsong, Heathertail and Leafstar were rubbing the bodies with rosemary and other herbs, before propping them up to make them look like they were asleep. Looking closer, Flurrypaw saw that two more bodies had been recovered. One cat looked similar to Spikefur of ShadowClan, while the other one she couldn't recognize.

"We're done," Leafstar called as soon as she and the other two she-cats had finished up.

Crowfeather nodded, before leaping up onto the Large Boulder. "These are dark days for the Clans," the WindClan deputy began. "An earthquake has hit our territory, wiping out half of the population. We haven't even recovered half of the bodies, but we won't give up. We must have hope that some of the cats are alive and well."

A small chorus of agreement rose up from the small crowd of cats that had gathered.

"Tonight we will honor those we have found. If you would like to speak up about any of the cats that have been found today, along with the ones buried back at RiverClan's camp, please come forward."

Flameclaw stepped forward. "I would like to say a few words about my friend, Spikefur. Growing up, I always admired Spikefur. He could be an arrogant furball at times, but he had the heart of a warrior. He wasn't the best fighter in all of ShadowClan, but he had the best nose I've ever seen. He could track a piece of prey from here all the way to the mountains if he really wanted to! I'm really going to miss that guy, and I hope that he's up there gorging himself with as many toads as he can. Those were his favorite," Flameclaw let out a small chuckle, before backing away.

Next Shyfur stepped up. The RiverClan she-cat was silent for a few moments, which lead Flurrypaw to believe she was collecting her thoughts. Finally she mewed, "H-hello. I haven't been a member of RiverClan for very long, but I'll tell you... Those cats were the friendliest cats I've ever met. When Mistystar asked me to join, I was a bit hesitant at first. I had such loving housefolk, and I didn't want to leave them behind. Roeleap persuaded me to come join, and I'm glad I did. Roeleap was my best friend, and I'm sad to see her go. I will never forget her though, and I know she's up there playing with all of her kits." Shyfur paused to take a deep breath before continuing, "I was never very close with Lakeheart, but I always admired her from afar. From what I saw, she was an excellent warrior and mentor to Morningpaw. She was so dedicated to training Morningpaw. I've never saw a cat with the patience that Lakeheart had for her. A-and I can't forget about Rushtail! Despite her rank, she was still young at heart. I loved listening to the stories she had to tell, as well as the advice she offered." Shyfur stepped back and allowed the next cat to speak.

After a few more speeches had been said, Crowfeather stepped up. His blue eyes looked dull with sadness. "I honestly don't know where to begin," he started, before trailing off for a few moments. "I'm still coming to terms with the fact that Leafpool is dead. Part of me wants to believe that this is just a nightmare, but the other part of me realizes this is real. Every part of me feels guilty, though. I-I wasn't the best mate to Leafpool, or Nightcloud. Looking back on my life, I really wish I could have gone back and changed things. While I never saw eye-to-eye with Nightcloud, she still deserved better. Leafpool deserved better as well. After all, I said some not-so-nice things after our break up. That's besides the point, though. Leafpool was a gentle and loving cat, and I'm grateful that she loved me. I only wish I could have given her more. Leafpool, I promise I will care for our kits. I won't let you down." Crowfeather stepped back, before lowering his head.

The clearing was silent for a few moments, before Bramblestar said, "It's time to bury the dead."

Slowly, the warriors padded up to their friend's bodies and picked them up. Padding out of camp, they headed for a large grave that had been dug. As they placed the bodies into the hole, Flurrypaw's heart wrenched with sadness. _May StarClan light your paths,_ she thought. As she stood there, she felt the presence of her brother beside her.

"Do you think we'll find Cedarpaw?" he whispered.

Flurrypaw didn't know what to say, so instead she just shrugged.

Pantherpaw pressed his face into her shoulder. "I can't wait to wake up from this nightmare," he said.

"I can't either," Flurrypaw agreed quietly.

* * *

The next day, Flurrypaw followed after Bramblestar, Flameclaw, Leafstar, and Heathertail as they headed towards ThunderClan's camp. Today they were looking to see how the camp had fared the earthquake, and if any cats were alive.

"I feel good about this," Flameclaw murmured.

"Why?" Leafstar questioned.

The ShadowClan tom shrugged. "I just do. After all, there are still a lot of trees standing, so maybe a tree didn't fall on your camp after all."

"I hope," Bramblestar growled.

As Flurrypaw stared at her leader, her stomach churned nervously. Ever since the earthquake, he wasn't behaving like himself. The once-optimistic tom was now gloomy and angry all day. Flurrypaw didn't know if it was the fact that Squirrelflight was possibly dead, or what. She just hoped that with time, her leader would go back to his old self.

Finally they paused at the edge of the forest. While some of the trees were left standing, many of them had been uprooted, meaning the cats would have a hard time getting to ThunderClan's camp.

"Let's go," Heathertail said softly, before padding into the forest. Right away, the had to scramble over several large trees. By the time Flurrypaw had crossed the second tree, she was already exhausted.

"This is going to take forever!" Flameclaw groaned.

"We have to do it," Heathertail reminded him.

"I know," he replied.

After climbing over several large trees and dodging debris, the group of cats reached the remains of the ThunderClan camp. A large oak tree lay across the middle of the clearing, completely squashing the apprentices and elder's dens. A small pile of young trees had fallen close to the camp entrance as well.

As they gazed across the destroyed camp, Bramblestar's eyes widened with horror. "Hello?" the ThunderClan leader yowled out.

No reply.

"Come on," he meowed glumly, "let's search around for any bodies."

Flurrypaw slowly followed after her leader. With each paw step she took, her stomach churned nervously. The young she-cat had already witnessed enough loss in her life, and she didn't need any more. As she crept up to the pile of small trees that had fallen by the camp entrance, she slowly searched through them. To her relief, there were no cats trapped underneath.

Padding over to the next tree, Flurrypaw realized there was no body under there either.

"I can't find anything," Leafstar called out.

"Neither can I," Flameclaw confessed, looking confused.

"Do you think they made it out alive?" Flurrypaw asked, a spark of hope rising in her chest.

Before any cat could answer, a chorus of shocked mews came from somewhere in the forest. Suddenly, a group of three cats came crashing into the destroyed camp.

At first, Flurrypaw couldn't recognize them due to their unkempt fur and injured appearance, but as she looked closer she realized these cats were her Clanmates!

"Lionblaze!" Bramblestar yowled, rushing over to his adoptive son. "Y-you've alive!" The ThunderClan leader's amber eyes were wide with happiness. He then turned to Thrushfeather and Dovewing, who were standing behind Lionblaze.

"Daisy and the kits are alive as well," Dovewing purred. "They're back at our makeshift camp along with Hollystorm."

"I knew I felt good about this," Flameclaw whispered, giving the cats a small smile.

"Did anyone else make it out alive?" Bramblestar asked.

Lionblaze was silent for a few moments. "No," he whispered. "Everyone else that was in camp died. I-I... I tried to get everyone out, but it was impossible. I'm sorry." The golden furred warrior dipped his head in sadness.

Bramblestar draped his tail across Lionblaze's shoulder. "You did the best you could. Now lead us to Daisy and Hollystorm, and let's go."

"Where will we go afterwords?" Thrushfeather spoke up.

"WindClan," Heathertail answered. "Our camp is still intact for the most part, so it will be the best place to rest."

Thrushfeather nodded slowly, and together she helped lead the rescue group to the makeshift camp.

There under a cluster of branches sat Daisy and Hollystorm. Cuddled up beside them were the five ThunderClan kits, who were all oblivious to what was going on.

"Bramblestar?" Daisy questioned. "Is that really you?"

He nodded. "Yes. Now follow me. We're going to WindClan's camp."

Daisy nodded, and gently picked up her son, Redkit. Hollystorm picked up Rowankit, and the other members of the group picked up Lilyheart's kits.

"Where are we going?" Branchkit squeaked, his gray fur bristling.

"We're taking you someplace safe," Heathertail meowed.

The rest of the walk was silent, as there wasn't much to be said. Flurrypaw was glad that five of her Clanmates were able to escape safely, but part of her mourned for those that had been lost. So many innocent lives had just been ripped away like that... and for what? _Why did you do this to us?_ Flurrypaw thought, looking up at the sky.

 _Why?_

* * *

 **This was a sad, yet happy chapter. I hoped that you all enjoyed it, and I will try to update as soon as possible.**

 **Moontail - I already have all the characters for this story planned out, so I do not need any new names. However, once this story is complete I am planning on writing an original story with all original cats. If you would like to suggest names for that story, I am more than happy! :)**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

It had been three sunrises since the earthquake, and neither of her parents had been recovered.

 _They're never going to be found,_ Viperpaw thought. _They're going to sit there, rotting away under all of that rubble._ The young she-cat tried to push that thought away, but it was impossible. She needed to figure out whether or not her parents really _were_ dead. _They would have died by now, anyways,_ a small voice inside of her whispered.

"You're right," she meowed to herself.

Sighing, Viperpaw stood up and headed over to the fresh-kill pile. She studied it for a few moments, wondering what she should chose. _I'm not hungry,_ she finally decided, before padding away.

"Viperpaw, have you eaten today?" a concerned voice questioned.

Looking up, Viperpaw saw that Daisy was approaching her. "No," Viperpaw confessed.

"You need to eat something," Daisy pressed, padding over to the fresh-kill pile. "How about a mouse?" The cream-colored queen picked up a mouse and carried it over to her.

Viperpaw shook her head. "You and your kits need it more than I do."

Daisy frowned. "That's nonsense, Viperpaw. You're a growing cat; you need prey to keep your strength up," she argued.

"Your kits are growing too," Viperpaw retorted.

Daisy let out an annoyed huff. "Viperpaw, please eat this mouse. I've been watching over you since Bramblestar's search party found me and the others, and I can tell you're not doing okay." Daisy pressed up against her side and began to lick her ear. "We're going to find your parents," she whispered.

Viperpaw pulled away. "Don't try to feed me lies, Daisy," she hissed. "We both know my parents are dead. Even if they had managed to survive being crushed by all that rubble, they would have died by now."

"You don't know that!" Daisy meowed, remaining calm. "We just have to hope that there are survivors down there."

Viperpaw sighed. She wanted to believe that her parents were both alive and well, but at the same time she knew it was pointless to get her hopes up. "Give me that mouse," she said.

Daisy smiled, and slid the mouse over to her. As Viperpaw ate, the ThunderClan queen watched over her.

"Thank you," Daisy purred.

Viperpaw just shrugged, before padding over to the apprentices den. There she laid down in the shade of the den, and looked out across WindClan's camp.

Since the five ThunderClan cats had been recovered two sunrises ago, only two more cats had been rescued since. A search party had gone into ShadowClan territory in search of survivors, and came out with Pinenose and Jaggedpaw. The two had claimed they had scented other survivors, but unfortunately hadn't been able to find them.

"You don't look so good."

Looking up, Viperpaw sat that her mentor was standing there. "So I've been told," she commented quietly.

Bramblestar stood there for a few moments, before taking a seat.

The two cats sat in silence, before Viperpaw decided to break the ice. "Bramblestar, what are we going to do now? So many cats are dead, and our homes are destroyed. W-will we end up becoming rogues?"

Bramblestar shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I'm still wondering why StarClan would call us from the lake to the gorge if they knew this disaster was going to happen. More importantly, why would they trick us like that? They told Leafpool that this Gathering would be special, and look what happened! They caused so many deaths..." he trailed off, his neck fur bristling.

Viperpaw was silent. Everything her leader had said was true. StarClan had tricked them, and for what reason?

"I just... I wish we had stayed at the lake," he growled, before stalking off.

* * *

Viperpaw pushed her way through the undergrowth, searching for any scents. To her disappointment, she couldn't find anything. Today she had been sent out with a patrol to search around part of SkyClan's territory on the opposite side of the gorge.

"Hello?" she finally called out, hoping that there was some cat close by.

To her surprise, a low moaning sound came from a clump of brambles. Eyes wide, Viperpaw rushed over to the brambles. As she slid under the prickly plant, she spotted a gray tabby tom laying on his side. He was covered in bloodied cobwebs, and his eyes were half-shut.

"Sunpaw?" he croaked.

"No," Viperpaw said. "My name is Viperpaw."

"V-Viper..." he trailed off, too weak to talk.

"I promise I'll get you some help," she said, backing out of the brambles. As she turned to head for the rest of her search party, she crashed into another cat.

Looking up, she spotted a golden she-cat starting at her. "Who are you?" the she-cat hissed, hackles raising.

"My name is Viperpaw," she repeated.

The she-cat's eyes widened, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan you've found us. Creekfeather and I have been so scared ever since that horrific shaking of the earth! We thought we were the only cats to make it out alive. Viperpaw, please tell us there are more survivors!"

 _This must be Sunpaw,_ she thought. "There are a few," Viperpaw explained. "Bramblestar, Leafstar..."

"You hear that, Creekfeather? Leafstar is alive!" Sunpaw exclaimed. "Please take us to her."

"It's a long walk," Viperpaw said, flicking her tail all the way in the direction of WindClan's camp. "That's were the survivors are living at."

"We can make it," Sunpaw said. Slowly, Sunpaw nudged Creekfeather up.

Together, the three cats slowly trekked around the gorge before heading across the moorland. By the time they reached WindClan's camp, Creekfeather collapsed with exhaustion.

"Are you okay?" Sunpaw demanded, rushing to her Clan mate's side.

"I-I will be in a moment. Just give me some time to rest," he panted, laying down on the ground.

Viperpaw frowned before glancing at Sunpaw. "I'll go fetch Leafstar," she meowed, before rushing off. As she padded into camp, she spotted Leafstar having a discussion with Crowfeather.

"Leafstar, I found two of your warriors while out on patrol," the apprentice called out.

Leafstar's eyes widened. "Lead me to them!" she said, before following Viperpaw out of camp.

"Leafstar!" Sunpaw yowled, rushing up to her leader's side. "It's so good to see you. Creekfeather and I were so worried that you were..." Sunpaw trailed off, not able to finish her sentence. Finally she asked, "Are the rest of our Clanmates here?"

Leafstar was silent for a few moments. "No," she finally whispered, her eyes clouding over.

"So everyone is... _dead_?" Sunpaw choked out.

"We believe so. We are still searching for survivors," the SkyClan leader explained. Turning to Creekfeather she asked, "Do you need help walking?"

Creekfeather shook his head. "I can make it." Slowly the SkyClan tom stood up and limped into WindClan's camp. As Leafstar got them settled, Viperpaw padded out of camp to hunt.

After a few minutes of searching for prey, Viperpaw collapsed on the ground. She didn't want to hunt. She just wanted to curl up in a hole and die. After all, what was there left for her to do? She was an orphan now, with no one left to care for her. "Please come back," she sobbed, lowering her head. "Please don't leave me here alone."

Suddenly she felt the presence of another cat beside her. For a split second, she thought that it was one of her parents. Looking up, she realized that it was just Bramblestar.

"Did I scare you?" he questioned.

She shook her head.

"Oh. You jumped, so I thought I had." Bramblestar was silent for a couple of minutes, unsure of what to say. "Are you okay?" he then asked.

Viperpaw shrugged. "I'm doing the best I can," she replied quietly.

Bramblestar frowned. "You're very depressed," the leader meowed.

"Aren't we all? After all, half of the Clans have been wiped out. Nearly every cat alive has lost most of their family and friends. In my opinion, it's hard to be cheerful when something like that happens," Viperpaw snapped, slightly annoyed.

Bramblestar just sighed. "I'm not expecting you – or any cat for that matter – to be cheerful. I'm just saying you aren't doing very well. You aren't eating, you're not sleeping, you're just... barely scraping by."

"I could say the same for you. You haven't been yourself since the earthquake," Viperpaw argued.

"So you've noticed?" he muttered.

"Every cat has noticed," she replied. "Even a newborn kit could tell something isn't right with you."

Before Bramblestar could reply, the tall grass around them rustled. Suddenly, a patrol burst through the grass, panting.

"We need backup at the gorge!" Mudwhisker panted, his eyes wide.

Bramblestar leaped to his paws. "Why? What happened?"

"We think we've found some survivors, but they're trapped in one of the caves," Lionblaze said. "We need help to move the boulders that are in the way."

Bramblestar glanced at Viperpaw. "Let's go back to camp right away and fetch backup. You wait here," he instructed the patrol, before racing away.

As they burst through the camp, Bramblestar called out, "We need a large patrol of cats to go down to the gorge!"

Crowfeather looked at him, confused. "I already sent a patrol down to the gorge."

"They think they've found some trapped survivors," Bramblestar panted. "And they need our help to free them."

"I'll go!" Pinenose said, leaping to her paws.

"As will I," Flameclaw offered.

As Bramblestar collected a few more cats to go help down in the gorge, Viperpaw's heart began to race excitedly. What if her parents were alive after all?

"Ready to go?" Bramblestar asked, shaking her from her thoughts.

Viperpaw nodded, before following Bramblestar and the others back to the patrol. Once they met up with Mudwhisker, Lionblaze and the others, they immediately headed towards the gorge.

"Where do you think these cats are trapped?" Flameclaw asked.

"They're on the very far end of the gorge," Mudwhisker explained. "Lionblaze spotted some buzzards flying around, so we went down there to investigate. As we recovered the bodies, we suddenly heard what sounded like a screeching cat. At first we thought it was our imagination, but it continued on. Together we searched around for the source of the call, before realizing it was coming from a blocked cave."

"Who were the bodies?" Pinenose asked, her eyes clouding over.

"Cherryfall and Whitestar," Lionblaze sighed. "By the looks of their bodies, a fox had dug them out of the rubble before dragging them away, but for some reason they abandoned them..."

Bramblestar's eyes clouded over. "May StarClan light their paths," he whispered.

The rest of the run to the gorge was silent. By the time they reached the cave Mudwhisker and Lionblaze were talking about, the sun was setting in the sky.

"Here we are," Mudwhisker meowed.

"Should we just start digging?" Crowfeather asked.

"I think that's our best option," Lionblaze said, padding up to the pile of blockage. Before he started digging, the golden warrior called out, "Hello? Is anyone in here?"

A moment later, a cat yowled out, "Please help us! Please!"

"Don't worry. We're going to do our best to save you," Lionblaze responded, before digging through the rubble.

The rest of the patrol followed, hoping to be able to make a hole that the trapped cats could get through.

As Viperpaw dug, she couldn't help but imagine that her parents were safe and sound inside. The thought that they were alive pushed her harder than ever before.

"Keep digging!" Bramblestar called out. "We've almost got an opening."

Viperpaw's eyes widened with excitement as she continued on. Pretty soon, every cat backed away. There beside the boulder was a small opening, just large enough for a cat to squeeze through.

"Can you make it out?" Bramblestar yowled into the hole.

No reply.

Together, the rescue patrol huddled around the hole, waiting for a cat to appear. Finally a small black tom began to squeeze out of the hole.

"Reedwhisker!" Bramblestar purred, rushing over to his friend's side. The ThunderClan leader leaned down and grabbed the RiverClan deputy's scruff, before hauling him out.

Reedwhisker sat back, panting. "I... I can't believe it. I thought we were going to die in that cave."

"It's a miracle that you all survived. How did you do it without any food or water?" Crowfeather asked.

Reedwhisker's gaze darkened. "I'd rather not discuss that right now," he muttered darkly, before looking away.

Crowfeather gave him a skeptical look, before glancing back at the hole. "How many cats are in there?"

"There are about thirteen, counting me," Reedwhisker answered, before calling out, "Come on, everyone! It's safe to come out."

A moment later, a small tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat climbed out of the hole. Based on her size, Viperpaw assumed she was an apprentice. The she-cat stood still for a few moments, almost as though she were in a daze. "I can't believe it," she breathed. "I'm free!"

After the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat climbed out of the hole, a familiar ginger she-cat came crawling out of the hole. Her dark ginger pelt was ruffled and covered in blood, but her green eyes shined with triumph.

"Squirrelflight!" Bramblestar yowled, rushing up to his mates side. "You're alive!" The dark brown tabby tom began covering his mate in excited licks.

Squirrelflight happily nuzzled him back. "I never thought I'd see you again. I thought I was going to die in that wretched cave."

Next came out Nettlebreeze, the ShadowClan medicine cat. After her followed Hootclaw and Featherpool of WindClan. Another apprentice climbed out after them, followed by two RiverClan cats, and two SkyClan cats.

Viperpaw's heart sank as she realized her parents hadn't been fortunate to make it out alive.

"Where's Spiderleg?" Reedwhisker asked.

"We tried to free his leg from under those rocks, but we couldn't," Otterbreeze of RiverClan explained.

Viperpaw's yellow eyes widened and she shrieked, "You have to save him! H-He's my father!"

Bramblestar pressed against Viperpaw. "Don't worry. We'll save him." Glancing at Lionblaze the ThunderClan leader asked, "Let's go help Spiderleg."

Lionblaze nodded, and together he and Bramblestar crawled down the hole that lead to the cave.

As Viperpaw waited for them to return with her father, her heart began to beat fast in her chest. Her father was injured, but he was alive and that was all that mattered.

After what felt like a season, Bramblestar and Lionblaze crawled out of the hole. Slowly, Spiderleg followed after them. His back leg was crushed and covered in blood, but he would survive.

Immediately, Viperpaw rushed up to her father and buried her face in his chest.

"Viperpaw," Spiderleg choked out. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Viperpaw nodded her head, speechless. She then glanced down at her father's injured leg. It was bloody and mangled beyond repair, making Viperpaw believe that her father would be forced to retire to the elder's den. _That is, if we ever get out lives back in order_.

"We need to get back to camp right away," Bramblestar yowled, looking around at all of the cats.

"What camp, exactly?" Reedwhisker questioned, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"WindClan's camp," Crowfeather replied. "Our camp was the only one that didn't get destroyed, so that's where every cat is staying."

Reedwhisker nodded. "I see. Well, as soon as I'm better, I'll send a patrol over to RiverClan's camp so we can start working on it. I'm sure Mistystar doesn't want to over stay her welcome."

Bramblestar and Crowfeather exchanged glances. Finally Bramblestar murmured, "Mistystar... hasn't been found yet."

Reedwhisker's eyes widened. "You mean she's...?" he trailed off, to upset to speak.

Bramblestar nodded slowly, his amber eyes full of sympathy for the RiverClan deputy. "Come on, let's just head back to camp. You all are clearly exhausted, and you need to rest up immediately." Looking over at Spiderleg the ThunderClan leader asked, "Can you manage?"

Spiderleg hobbled forward a few paces, before collapsing onto the ground. Grunting, the black-and-brown tom tried to stand up once more, but failed.

"I'll help you," Lionblaze offered, padding over to his Clanmate's side. Mudwhisker followed after the golden warrior, and together they nudged Spiderleg back to his paws. Viperpaw stood back a few paces, unsure whether or not she should help as well. After a few thoughtful moments, she decided that she was too small to support the weight of her father. _I'll stand back and make sure he doesn't slip going up the steep gorge side._

The walk home was slow and painstaking, but the cats managed to make it back by nightfall. As they padded into camp, they were all met with a group of surprised cats.

"It's a miracle from StarClan! I knew they hadn't completely abandoned us!" Daisy yowled, her eyes shining.

"I smell an infection," Heathertail reported, sniffing the air. "Is any cat hurt?"

"Spiderleg is," Lionblaze reported. "His leg was crushed when part of the cave's ceiling he was in collapsed."

Heathertail frowned, before beckoning Fernsong over with her tail. "We need to bandage his wounds as soon as possible," the WindClan warrior murmured.

"And then what will we do?" Fernsong questioned, her blue eyes wide. "We don't have the proper knowledge of herbs to care for an injury as intense as his. What if he dies?"

"He won't," a quiet voice spoke up.

Both WindClan cats looked over to see Nettlebreeze hovering close by. "I can care for him."

Fernsong let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan you survived, Nettlebreeze! We haven't recovered any of the other medicine cats... alive, that is." Fernsong seemed to whisper the last part, as though she didn't want to admit that the Clans had lost their medicine cats.

Nettlebreeze just gave her a blank expression. "I should have suspected as much," she muttered under her breath, before walking over to Kestrelflight's den.

As Viperpaw watched Heathertail and Fernsong help Spiderleg over to the medicine cats den, her stomach churned nervously. The Clans had been extremely fortunate to recover the thirteen lives they had found, but what about all of the other missing cats? Would they ever be found?

Suddenly an image of her mother's dead body flashed in her mind, crushed beneath mounds of heavy rock and soil. Viperpaw began to shake as she pushed the thought away. _I can't bare to think of her like that!_ She thought, squeezing her eyes shut.

Suddenly she felt another cat's pelt brush up against hers. Looking up, she saw that Thrushfeather was standing there. "Have you eaten today?" she asked, her eyes full of sympathy.

Viperpaw was silent for a few moments, unsure whether or not she had actually eaten. "I... I think so?"

"Ah, okay." Without another word, Thrushfeather trotted off. As Viperpaw watched her, she felt her eyes begin to droop with fatigue. Slowly, she headed over to the apprentices den. The once unfamiliar den was now as familiar as ThunderClan camp to her. Shutting her eyes, she curled up in the closest nest to her and fell asleep.

* * *

 **I'm sorry I haven't been updating lately. My internet wasn't working, so I haven't been able to update until now. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Also, here were all the cats that were rescued from the cave (since not all of them were mentioned by name in the chapter): Reedwhisker, Nettlebreeze, Featherpool, Hootclaw, Webpaw, Lichenpaw, Patchfoot, Birchflower, Honeysplash, Squirrelflight, Sandstripe, Spiderleg and Ottersbreeze . Also, you will figure out how these cats survived in the cave in the next few chapters.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Pantherpaw crouched on a small rock at the bottom of the gorge. The young tom looked around at his surroundings in awe. He then looked up at the sky, and gasped. The once blue sky was now turning black!

Leaping off his rock, Pantherpaw raced towards the top of the gorge. As he ran, sharp rocks jabbed his paw pads, making him wince. Right as he was about to reach the top, the ground underpaw began to shake violently.

As the shaking continued, Pantherpaw began to lose his footing. The dark gray tom desperately tried to find his footing, but it was impossible. Next thing he knew, he was tumbling down the gorge side at full speed, before finally slamming into the side of a boulder.

Pantherpaw lay there for a few minutes, trying to get a good breath. The force of the impact had knocked his breath from him. As he tried to control his breathing, a blood-chilling screech split the air, causing his fur to bristle.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to see the familiar shapes of his mother as she tried to out run the landslide that was starting to form. "Mother!" he yowled, trying to stand to his paws. No matter what he did, he was frozen in place. He called out again, but his mother couldn't hear him. Instead, the light brown tabby she-cat just pelted on, trying to escape.

Before Pantherpaw could see whether or not his mother had escaped, a wave of debris came crashing over him, choking him. He squirmed under the weight of all the rock and soil, but no matter what he could not get free. Suddenly, his world began to go black...

"Pantherpaw!"

Pantherpaw jolted awake. Slowly, he looked up to see his father standing over him.

"You're late for the sunhigh patrol!" Crowfeather scolded. "Now get going. Lionblaze, Pinenose and Viperpaw are waiting for you."

Pantherpaw quickly stood to his paws, before scampering out into the camp clearing. It had been nearly a month since the earthquake, and the cats were barely scrapping by. While there was enough food for every cat, the emotional and physical wounds the cats had suffered were taking a huge tole on everyone. Most cats were shells of them former selves, including Pantherpaw himself.

Nearly every night since the earthquake, he had nightmares about his family dying in front of him. At the end of every dream, he himself would die too. The young tom had tried to talk to Nettlebreeze about what was going on, but the medicine cat had offered no help.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do," Nettlebreeze confessed quietly.

"You can't consult StarClan?" he asked.

Nettlebreeze eyed him for a few seconds, before looking away. After a few moments she muttered, "StarClan is unable to walk in my dreams now."

Pantherpaw's eyes widened. "What?" he choked out. "You mean StarClan has abandoned us all?"

Nettlebreeze let out a low hiss, but did not answer his question. Instead, she turned away and began to sort through her herbs, completely ignoring him. Sighing, Pantherpaw stood up and crept out of the den, frustrated and upset.

"I smell a grouse," Lionblaze said, shaking Pantherpaw from his thoughts.

Pinenose sniffed the air. "I smell it too. I think it's coming from over there." The black she-cat flicked her tail towards a clump of heather.

Lionblaze's tail twitched excitedly. Suddenly, the large golden warrior took off at full speed, racing for the heather. Pinenose dashed after him, her tail streaming out behind her.

As Pantherpaw watched the two of them, his heart beat quickened. Would they make the catch? A loud squawk sounded from the heather, answering his question. A moment later, Lionblaze trotted out, his eyes shining with pride.

"Great catch!" Pinenose panted.

"Yeah, great catch!" Pantherpaw echoed. He then glanced at Viperpaw, waiting to see if she too would praise Lionblaze. Instead, the black she-cat just gazed absent minded up at the sky.

He nudged her. "Aren't you going to say anything?" he whispered.

Viperpaw stared at him as if he had grown two heads. "Why should I?" she snapped. "It's not like prey is scarce or anything. Besides, Lionblaze is a grown warrior. He doesn't need us to all praise him like he's an apprentice out on his first hunt."

Pantherpaw pulled back, shocked by her bitter tone. "Who put burrs in your nest?" he muttered crossly.

Viperpaw just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. If you don't mind me, I'm going to go see if I can find anything." And with that, she stood up and stalked off into the tall grass.

"You should go with her," Lionblaze meowed to Pantherpaw.

Pantherpaw gulped, before staring off in the direction Viperpaw had gone. "I don't think she wants my company," he admitted.

Lionblaze gave him a sympathetic smile. "Just go after her," he suggested once more.

Pantherpaw slowly stood to his paws, before following Viperpaw's scent trail. He quickly looked over his shoulder at Lionblaze and Pinenose, before getting swallowed up by the tall grass.

Viperpaw's scent trail led towards the forest. Suddenly, the overwhelming scent of rabbit caught his attention. Looking around, Pantherpaw tried to pinpoint the exact location of his prey. Before he could, he spotted Viperpaw zigzagging through the grass at full speed. In front of her was the rabbit, running for its life.

No matter how many turns the rabbit made, Viperpaw kept up on it's trail. She then put on an extra burst of speed, allowing her to get right on top of the rabbit. In one swift movement, the black she-cat bowled the rabbit over before giving it a quick bite to the neck.

"That was amazing!" Pantherpaw called out, running up to her.

Viperpaw sat down her rabbit. "Did you follow me?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"Lionblaze told me too," he responded, growing uncomfortable under her harsh gaze.

"I don't need watching over, you know." Viperpaw picked up her rabbit and headed back towards the rest of the patrol. As Pantherpaw followed after her, he noticed that her shoulder was oozing blood.

"Wait!" he shouted, rushing up beside her. "You're bleeding. Did the rabbit do that to you?"

Viperpaw followed his gaze. Her yellow eyes widened in surprise before she insisted, "It's nothing. Come on, we need to hurry back to the rest of the patrol."

Pantherpaw shook his head. "You need to see Nettlebreeze right away. You may not think it's serious, but a rabbit's claws can carry infection."

Viperpaw huffed. "Fine."

Pantherpaw smiled. "I'll tell the rest of the patrol what happened for you," he promised.

Viperpaw dipped her head in thanks, before heading in the direction of WindClan's camp.

As Pantherpaw headed back towards Lionblaze and Pinenose, he began to wonder what the future would hold for every cat. After all, the forest and gorge was destroyed beyond repair for any cat. Would they all just decide to become WindClan cats?

"Where's Viperpaw?" Pinenose asked as soon as he arrived.

"She got scratched by a rabbit, so I sent her back to camp to get treated," he explained.

Pinenose frowned. "I hope she'll be okay."

"I'm sure she will be," Lionblaze insisted. "Now let's see if we can find some more prey, and then we will head back to camp."

* * *

"Hey," Pantherpaw greeted as he padded into the elders den.

"Hi..." Flurrypaw greeted half-heatedly. Flurrypaw had been staying in the elders den for the past halfmoon, due to her infected paw. At first, the wound where the Twoleg trap had been was healing up nicely, but due to the constant pressure Flurrypaw had been putting on it, the wound had opened back up again, allowing for infection.

Along with Flurrypaw was Spiderleg, Creekfeather and Patchfoot. Spiderleg had been terribly crippled by a cave collapse, leaving him unable to walk. Nettlebreeze had said that his leg would heal eventually, but he still would never be able to be a warrior again. Creekfeather had also been injured during the earthquake, but his wounds were slowly starting to heal up.

"Have you eaten today?" Pantherpaw asked his sister.

Flurrypaw shrugged.

"Well... are you hungry?" he pressed.

Flurrypaw shrugged once more, acting as though she barely recognized his presence.

Pantherpaw frowned, worried for his sister. Since the confirmed death of their brothers, Cedarpaw and Jayfeather, Flurrypaw hadn't been acting like her usual self. Pantherpaw knew how much she valued family, so to know that her mother and brothers were dead must have crushed her beyond repair. Pantherpaw was hurting too, but he did his best to mask the sadness. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea to suppress it completely, but he knew dwelling on the past wouldn't help the group in any way.

Suddenly, the entrance rustled, startling him. Spinning around, he saw that Nettlebreeze was padding into the den.

"Are you disturbing them?" she hissed, narrowing her amber eyes.

Pantherpaw shook his head. "Of course not. I was just checking up on Flurry-"

Nettlebreeze cut him off with a brisk flick of her tail. "Out. I can check up on them without you."

Pantherpaw narrowed his eyes angrily, before stalking out of the den. "How in the name of StarClan did _she_ become medicine cat?" he muttered under his breath. His mind then drifted to his mother. Leafpool had always been kind and understanding; _she_ should have been the one to survive!

Stalking across the clearing, he headed straight for his den. When he got inside, he saw that all the other apprentices were sitting in their nests, grooming their pelts and chatting.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Hi!" Lichenpaw smiled.

Pantherpaw returned the smile, before asking, "What's new?"

"Bramblestar stopped by not too long ago," Jaggedpaw meowed between licks, "and he said that starting tomorrow our training schedules are going to get back on track."

Ever since the earthquake, the apprentices hadn't been training like normal. Rather than focus on learning new skills with their mentors, they usually just helped to provide prey and herbs for the group with whatever cats were available at the time.

"I miss Emberfoot," Webpaw whimpered. "Training won't be the same without him."

Lichenpaw draped her tail across Webpaw's shoulder. "It's going to be okay," she whispered soothingly.

Pantherpaw got up to comfort Webpaw as well, but Jaggedpaw beat him to it.

"Just because you'll have a new mentor doesn't mean Emberfoot will be forgotten. No cat will ever forget him," the ShadowClan apprentice whispered.

Webpaw purred slightly, before pressing her cheek into his fur. The sight made Pantherpaw's skin crawl, but he wasn't sure why. After all, Jaggedpaw was just comforting her. What was so wrong with that?

"I'm kind of excited," Sunpaw piped up. "Things have been very chaotic since the earthquake, so starting out training up will help get things back in order."

Viperpaw snorted. "I for one am not excited in the least bit," she grumbled.

"Why?" Sunpaw wondered.

"She doesn't like being told what to do," Pantherpaw chuckled.

Viperpaw just rolled her eyes. "I just don't find training fun is all." she shrugged, before looking away.

"I think it's very fun," Sunpaw disagreed.

"Me too," Jaggedpaw agreed. "From the moment I was born, I couldn't wait to be an apprentice! It's kind of scary to think that pretty soon I'm going to be a warrior."

"You _can't_ become a warrior! You have to stay in the apprentices den with us," Sunpaw squeaked. "Just think how fun it would be if all got our names together?"

Jaggedpaw laughed a little bit before shaking his head. "I don't think I could wait around forever." When he noticed Sunpaw's frown he added, "But perhaps I could put it off for a moon or so. We'll just have to wait and see."

Viperpaw let out a low mutter that Pantherpaw barely heard. "I could never put off my warrior ceremony for any cat."

"Why are you so grumpy?" Pantherpaw wondered allowed, earning a look from all the other apprentices.

"What?" Viperpaw asked.

"Why are you so grumpy?" he repeated.

Viperpaw shrugged. "I don't mean to be. I guess that's just how my personality is." The black she-cat frowned for a moment before whispering, "I-I'm going to go out for a walk or something."

As Pantherpaw and the others watched her go, silence fell over the den.

"We should probably start getting rested for tomorrow," Lichenpaw suggested, padding over to her own nest. As she curled up, Pantherpaw and the others copied her. As he closed his eyes and fell asleep, Pantherpaw wondered what tomorrow would bring. Who would his new mentor be? He then wondered how Elmclaw was doing in StarClan. Was he running through the moorlands up there with his mate, Wheatfur, at his side?

 _Even though you won't be here to see me finish my training, I promise I won't let you down. I'll become a warrior that you would have been proud of._

* * *

 **Hey everyone! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get up. I had meant to post it a while ago, but I accidentally lost a lot of my work so I had to rewrite a lot of it. And since you all asked, here are the current allegiances. These will be a bit different since many of the high rank cats have been lost. And Crowfeather and Reedwhisker do not have official leader names or nine lives, because the connection with StarClan has been lost, meaning they have no way to become a 'proper' leader.**

 **ThunderClan Leader:** Bramblestar - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **ShadowClan Leader:** None

 **WindClan Leader:** Crowfeather - dark gray tom

 **RiverClan Leader:** Reedwhisker - black tom

 **SkyClan Leader:** Leafstar - brown-and-cream she-cat with amber eyes

 **Medicine Cat:** Nettlebreeze - ginger-and-white she-cat with amber eyes; ShadowClan

 **Warriors: (Toms and she-cats without kits)**

Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes; ThunderClan

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes; ThunderClan

Dovewing - gray she-cat with blue eyes; ThunderClan

Hollystorm - pure black she-cat with green eyes; ThunderClan

Thrushfeather - dark brown tabby she-cat; ThunderClan

Pinenose - black she-cat; ShadowClan

Flameclaw - dark ginger tom with black ear tips; ShadowClan

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes; WindClan

Hootclaw - dark gray tom; WindClan

Featherpool - gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes; WindClan

Fernsong - gray tabby-and-white she-cat with green eyes; WindClan

Mudwhisker - dark brown tabby tom with green eyes; WindClan

Sandstripe - pale ginger tom with darker stripes; RiverClan

Otterbreeze - tortoiseshell she-cat; RiverClan

Creekfeather - gray tabby tom; SkyClan

Honeysplash - pale ginger she-cat; SkyClan

Birchflower - silver tabby she-cat with dark black stripes; SkyClan

 **Apprentices: (Cats older than six moons in training to become warriors)**

Viperpaw - pure black she-cat with yellow eyes; ThunderClan

Flurrypaw - white she-cat with gray flecks and blue eyes; ThunderClan

Jaggedpaw - brown tom with amber eyes; ShadowClan

Lichenpaw - tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes; ShadowClan

Pantherpaw - dark gray tom with blue eyes; WindClan

Webpaw - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes; WindClan

Sunpaw - golden she-cat with bright blue eyes; SkyClan

 **Queens: (She-cats expecting or nursing kits)**

Daisy - long-furred cream colored she-cat; ThunderClan

Finchfoot - dark ginger she-cat with a white chest; WindClan

Shyfur - pale gray she-cat; RiverClan

 **Kits: (Cats younger than six moons)**

Redkit - dark ginger tom; Daisy's kit.

Rowankit - dark ginger tom; Daisy's kit.

Blossomkit - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat; Lilyheart's kit. Adopted by Daisy.

Dapplekit - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat; Lilyheart's kit. Adopted by Daisy.

Branchkit - fluffy gray tom; Lilyheart's kit. Adopted by Daisy.

Hailkit - large gray tom; Doespot's kit. Adopted by Finchfoot.

Cypresskit - pale brown-and-white she-cat; Doespot's kit. Adopted by Finchfoot.

Boulderkit - gray tom; Doespot's kit. Adopted by Finchfoot.

Robinkit - reddish-brown she-cat; Finchfoot's kit.

Cardinalkit - dark ginger tom; Finchfoot's kit.

Sealkit - silver tom; Shyfur's kit.

Shrewkit - gray tom; Shyfur's kit.

 **Elders: (Warriors and Queens now retired)**

Patchfoot - black-and-white tom; SkyClan

Spiderleg - black-and-brown tom with a crippled back leg; ThunderClan


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Do you want to lose your paw?" Nettlebreeze snapped.

Flurrypaw shook her head. "N-no," she choked out.

"Then hold still," the ShadowClan medicine cat ordered as she wrapped an herb wrap around the apprentice's paw. As she worked, Flurrypaw winced at the sting.

Her wounded paw was healing slowly, but it was painful nonetheless.

"Hey, Nettlebreeze?" Flurrypaw spoke up.

"Hmm?" Nettlebreeze asked, not looking up from her job.

Flurrypaw was silent for a few moments, unsure whether or not she should ask. Finally she muttered, "Will I ever be able to be a warrior with my injury?"

Nettlebreeze nodded immediately. "Of course you will. Your paw isn't that bad; however you will have some days where it's painful to walk or fight with. That's normal though. Most cats that suffer injuries like you did will have pain for years to come."

Flurrypaw frowned at the idea of dealing with her painful paw for the rest of her life. "Okay. Thanks for answering," she said.

Nettlebreeze shrugged. "It was nothing. By the way, I'm done. I'll be back tonight to check up on you."

"Wait!" Patchfoot called out. "Could you bring me something to eat? I'm starving."

Nettlebreeze nodded. "I'll have one of the warriors bring you all something," she promised, before heading out of the den.

As soon as she padded out, Spiderleg let out a loud sigh. "I should be out there providing food for others," he growled.

"But you aren't," Patchfoot reminded him sternly. "You're in here with the rest of us, so try to be positive."

"That's easy for you to say!" Spiderleg growled, his neck fur bristling. "You retired by choice; I was forced into it due to a stupid leg injury! Not to mention, nearly all of my family died in the earthquake. Viperpaw is my only kin left, and I can't even provide or care for her because I'm stuck in here."

Creekfeather draped his tail across Spiderleg's back. "It's going to be all right," the tom whispered. "Before you know it, you'll be walking."

Spiderleg just snorted. "I guess."

Flurrypaw frowned. _Poor Spiderleg,_ she thought. _He's lost so much in his lifetime._ Right as she opened her mouth to share some comforting words with the older tom, Sandstripe padded into the den with a rabbit and a mouse.

The pale RiverClan tom dropped the mouse at Flurrypaw's paws, and gave the rabbit to the older warriors.

"Thanks!" Creekfeather purred, taking a bite.

Sandstripe dipped his head to the four of them. "It was nothing," he meowed, before padding out of the den.

Flurrypaw bent her head down and took a bite from the mouse. As she ate, the atmosphere around her felt awkward.

Patchfoot must have sensed the same thing, for he meowed, "How about I tell a story to lighten the mood?"

Creekfeather's eyes shined. "That sounds great," he said.

Patchfoot purred, before going on a long-winding story about Leafstar's kits when they were apprentices. Half-way through, Flurrypaw tuned out.

When she was done with her mouse, she stood up and headed for the dirt place. On her way there, she bumped into Dovewing.

"Sorry!" Dovewing quickly apologized.

Flurrypaw shook her head. "No, it's fine." She then paused for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Wanting to break the ice she asked, "I haven't seen you in a while. How are you doing?"

A pained expression flashed across Dovewing's face. "I'm... okay," the gray warrior whispered. "Or at least as good as I can be in our situation."

"I'm sorry," Flurrypaw whispered, pressing up against her mentor's side.

"There's no need to be sorry," Dovewing said. Clearly wanting to change the subject she commented, "Bramblestar has started up training again."

Flurrypaw's eyes widened. "Really?"

Dovewing nodded. "Yeah. He reassigned some of the apprentices new mentors. If only we could join. I really miss being your mentor, Flurrypaw."

Flurrypaw glanced down at her injured paw. "I miss training with you, too. If only my wound would heal faster!"

Dovewing gave her a small smile. "Well, perhaps you should take it easy. I have to get going, Flurrypaw. I'll see you around sometimes, okay?"

Flurrypaw returned the smile. "Okay," she replied, before going on her way.

When she was done making her dirt, Flurrypaw saw that Patchfoot and Creekfeather were both asleep. Spiderleg, however, was wide awake. The black-and-brown tom had his head rested on his forepaws, and he looked very depressed.

Not wanting to disturb him, Flurrypaw headed back out into the clearing in search of Viperpaw. _Please be in camp!_ The white-and-gray she-cat silently begged. To her relief, she spotted the black she-cat tugging moss out of the nursery.

As fast as she could with her hurt leg, Flurrypaw headed towards her. "Viperpaw, are you busy?" she asked.

Viperpaw dropped her moss. "Can't you see I'm cleaning out the nursery?" she asked with a dry tone.

"I'm sorry," Flurrypaw apologized. "It's just... I think you should come visit your father. He's really depressed."

Viperpaw shook her head. "I-I can't," she stammered.

Flurrypaw narrowed her eyes. "And why is that, exactly?"

"It's just so depressing coming to visit him," Viperpaw said. "I hate seeing him so upset all the time."

"Please, Viperpaw!" she begged. "He's your father. Right now, you two need to be there for each other more than ever."

"I don't know..." Viperpaw began.

"Please?" Flurrypaw begged once more. "Just once?"

Viperpaw let out a sigh. "I'll be there in a minute."

Flurrypaw smiled, before heading back towards the elders den.

Once inside, she settled down in her nest with a pleased expression. _They need to be there for each other right now,_ she thought. _After all, there's nothing more important than family._ Flurrypaw then let out a sigh as she remembered her mother and two brothers that had been lost during the earthquake. _Have you been reunited with Hollyleaf?_ She wondered.

Flurrypaw imagined her deceased family members all hunting together in lush forests, smiling and having a good time. Did they miss her? _Why haven't you tried visiting me in my dreams?_ she asked silently. _Are you mad that I survived?_ That thought was almost too much to bear for the young she-cat, so she pushed it away.

To her relief, Viperpaw pushed her way into the den at that moment.

Spiderleg slowly lifted up his head and let out a gasp. "Viperpaw! You've come to visit."

Viperpaw nodded slowly, her gaze drifting towards her father's injured leg. "I did," she choked out, padding to his side.

Spiderleg quietly purred. "It's so good to see you. Why haven't you come to visit me?" he asked.

Viperpaw frowned. "I-I wanted to, believe me. It's just... I hate seeing you like this. It hurts to know that you're in such pain, father."

Spiderleg gave her a small lick on the forehead. "I've missed you so much," he whispered. "I love you so much, Viperpaw. I promise that once I'm out of here, I'll do everything I can to protect you. I-I won't let your mother down."

Viperpaw purred too. "I love you more," she said.

* * *

Flurrypaw basked in the sun just outside the elders den. From there, she could see the camp clearing as cats bustled around, full of life. Across the clearing, she saw that the three nursery queens were ushering the kits outside.

"I don't want to play outside!" Rowankit growled. "I want to take a nap."

Daisy gave him a stern look. "That nursery is far too crowded for all of you. Besides, some fresh air will do you some good."

As the kits played, Finchfoot stared at them all with wide eyes. Every so often, the ginger queen would glance up at the sky in fear. "Perhaps we should bring them inside now," she meowed.

"They'll be fine," Shyfur meowed.

"But what if a hawk gets them?" Finchfoot panicked.

At that comment, Shyfur's eyes widened. "I-I never thought of that before!" Glancing at Daisy, the former kittypet said, "I think Finchfoot's right. What if a hawk gets them?"

"I'll protect them from any hawks," Flurrypaw called as she padded up to them.

Shyfur gave her a grateful look. "Thank you, Flurrypaw."

Finchfoot nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you."

As Flurrypaw helped watch the kits, she noticed how fast they were growing. "Which kits are the oldest?" she wondered.

"Doespots' kits," Finchfoot commented. "They're five moons old."

"So that means they'll be apprenticed soon. I bet getting these kits out of the nursery will be a huge weight off your shoulders," she said.

Finchfoot shook her head. "Not really. I'll honestly miss having Doespots' kits around. She was a good friend to me, so I'll really be sad when her kits become apprentices."

"I don't know how you queens do it," Flurrypaw said, glancing up at the sky once more. "I would be so upset for my kits to become apprentices, and then warriors. A warriors' life is so dangerous. Aren't you ever paranoid that they'll get hurt or killed?"

This time Daisy answered, "No mother wants to lose their kits, but it's unrealistic to think you can protect them from everything. Sometimes unfortunate things happen." The cream-colored she-cat let out a sigh. "But believe me, if I could have saved my kits, I would have." Glancing down at Redkit and Rowankit she whispered, "They're my only remaining kits left."

Shyfur pressed against her. "Let's change the subject," she said.

Before Flurrypaw could say something, she saw that Nettlebreeze was matching towards her.

"What are you doing? Do you want your wound to open up again?" the medicine cat demanded.

Flurrypaw let out an annoyed huff. "No."

"Then get back to your nest right away," Nettlebreeze said, before stalking off.

Once she was gone, Flurrypaw rolled her blue eyes. "Why is she always so grumpy?"

"She's just looking out for you," Shyfur responded. "Besides, she's got a lot on her mind. She's gone from looking out for her friends and family, to looking out for a group of strangers. I'm sure in time she'll ease up."

Flurrypaw waved her tail in goodbye to the three queens, before heading back to her den. As she walked inside, she saw that Patchfoot was telling another story. Not wanting to disturb anyone, she quietly settled down in her nest and listened to the story.

"...so there I was, backed up against a tree, surrounded by the three largest dogs I had ever seen."

* * *

 **Sorry I haven't updated very much. To be honest, I kind of feel as though this story is a failure. I really feel as though I messed up with this story, but I will not give up. Making mistakes helps you with your writing, as it shows you what to do and what not to do. I really hope this experience can help me grow as an author. Also, I apologize that these last few chapters have been fillers. I promise that things will start to pick up within the next couple of chapters.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"You've got to be quicker than that, Viperpaw!" Bramblestar scolded.

Viperpaw flattened her ears to her head. "I'm trying my best," she snapped, before lunging at her mentor again. Today Bramblestar had taken her out on a private training session. The two had been practicing battle moves to Viperpaw's frustration. The young she-cat didn't like battle training, as she wasn't very good at it. Close contact with other cats made her feel uncomfortable, and trying to remember all of the moves confused her.

Right as Viperpaw was about to land a blow to Bramblestar's shoulder, the dark brown tabby dodged out of the way.

Viperpaw let out an annoyed hiss, before plopping down onto the ground. "I give up," she growled, unable to meet his gaze.

Bramblestar gave her a stern look. "Try telling that to an angry fox or badger," he said, sitting down next to her.

"The day I get into a fight with a fox or a badger is the day I die," she commented sourly.

"Don't say that," Bramblestar said.

Viperpaw shrugged. "Sorry. Can we just head back to camp now? I'm starving!"

Bramblestar shook his head. "You know the rules. You can't eat until you've provided food for the Clan."

The young apprentice let out a sigh. "Fine. Can you help me?"

Bramblestar gave her a small smile. "I want to test your skills," he replied.

Viperpaw sighed once more, before stalking off in search of prey. After a few minutes, she picked up the faint scent of a shrew nearby. Dropping into a hunters crouch, she pulled herself through the tall grass towards the shrew.

Right as she was about to leap, she was tackled to the ground by an unfamiliar cat. Barring her teeth in a snarl, Viperpaw raked her claws across her attacker's face.

The cat let out a yowl, before biting down on her left ear.

Viperpaw squirmed under the cats grip, but could not free herself. As they tussled in the grass, Viperpaw could feel warm, sticky blood running down the side of her face.

"What are you doing?" a voice demanded as it pulled the attacker off of Viperpaw.

Viperpaw slowly sat up, bewildered. She then stared at the dark brown tabby tom that had came to her rescue. He was standing over a smaller gray-and-white she-cat, who had a nasty cut down the side of her flank. _He looks familiar, but I can't remember how I know him._

"She tried to steal my catch!" the gray-and-white she-cat snarled, glaring at Viperpaw.

"You have no right to be hunting here, Cory. You know these lands belong to the Clans!" the dark brown tabby growled.

Cory looked down at her paws before muttering, "Where am I supposed to hunt, then?"

"I'll help you figure something out," the dark brown tabby tom replied, nudging Cory to her paws. Looking over at Viperpaw he said, "I'm so sorry she attacked you, Viper."

Viperpaw felt her neck fur begin to bristle. How did this cat almost know her name? Had he been _spying_ on her? "How do you know my name?" she demanded, unsheathing her claws.

The tom stared at her for a few moments, shocked. "I'm Shadow. We can into each other once in the city, remember?"

Viperpaw was thoughtful for a few moments. "I-I think I remember you," she meowed slowly. The three of them stood there in silence for a few moments, before Viperpaw said, "I better get going."

"Wait!" Shadow called out. "How have you been coping since the earthquake?"

The black she-cat stood there for a few moments. "Things have been tough, but I'm managing."

Shadow nodded. "Well, if you ever need help, you know where to find me. Oh, and you should probably get out of here. The Clans aren't very accepting of rogues hunting on their lands." The dark brown tabby tom waved his tail in goodbye, before walking off into the tall grass with Cory at his side.

Just then, Bramblestar pushed his way through the grass. "What's going on?" he demanded.

Viperpaw shook her head. "Just a run in with a rogue is all. Nothing I couldn't handle," she said.

Bramblestar studied her for a few seconds. "Your ear is torn," he stated, his gaze filled with concern.

Viperpaw stared at him. "I-It is?" she questioned. "How bad is it?"

Bramblestar shrugged. "I don't know. We'll have Nettlebreeze check it when we get back to camp."

"What about hunting?"

"Never mind that," Bramblestar said. "We just need to have you checked out. And the sooner we get back to camp, the sooner we can send a patrol out. The last thing we need is to be in competition with a bunch of rogues." Bramblestar narrowed his eyes as he spoke, which surprised Viperpaw. The ThunderClan leader had always seemed so peaceful. Why was he so eager to fire a warning shot at the Twolegs Place cats?

When they reached camp, Viperpaw headed straight for Nettlebreeze's den. Inside, the ginger-and-white she-cat was sorting through her herbs.

"...No good," Nettlebreeze muttered as she pushed a pile of withered leaves away.

"Sorry to disturb you," Viperpaw began, "I need you to check out my ear. I got into a fight."

Nettlebreeze let out a small growl. "Okay, just a minute."

Viperpaw frowned as she watched the she-cat sort through her herb pile. "If you're too busy, I can just come back later. You look as though you've got a lot on your shoulders."

"No, stay!" the medicine cat demanded as she grabbed a bundle of herbs. Nettlebreeze then began to chew the herbs into a pulp, which she then applied to Viperpaw's wounded ear.

"Perhaps you should look into taking an apprentice? It might make things easier for you," Viperpaw suggested.

Nettlebreeze shook her head. "Nonsense. I'm still young, so I can manage on my own."

Viperpaw flinched. "Sorry. I was just trying to be helpful," she muttered.

The medicine cat rolled her eyes. "Never mind being helpful. Just sit there and be still." After a few minutes, the medicine cat stepped back and declared, "I'm done. Make sure that wrap stays on your ear, otherwise it will become infected. Come back tomorrow so I can change it."

Viperpaw nodded and headed towards the entrance. Right as she was about to pad into the clearing, Bramblestar walked into the den.

"How's her ear?" he asked the medicine cat.

"It will heal. Just give it some time," Nettlebreeze said as she continued to sort through the herbs. Suddenly, the medicine cat let out a loud shriek.

Bramblestar and Viperpaw were at her side immediately, trying to figure out what was wrong.

Nettlebreeze flicked her tail towards a pile of small, multicolored berries. As Viperpaw looked closer, she realized that some of the berries were withering before her very eyes.

"This is a bad omen," Nettlebreeze whispered, her eyes wide.

Bramblestar frowned. "But I thought you said StarClan couldn't communicate with us anymore!"

"What?" Viperpaw demanded. "Bramblestar-"

"Nothing," Bramblestar interrupted. He then flicked his tail towards the entrance. "You need to leave, Viperpaw. This doesn't concern you."

Viperpaw stared at him in disbelief. "But I saw the omen too! I have a right to know what's going on."

Bramblestar gave her a hard stare. " _Leave_!" he repeated.

Viperpaw stared at him for a few moments, before heading towards the den entrance. There she lingered for a few moments, before heading out into the clearing. _How dare he kick me out like that,_ she thought angrily. Glancing back at the den, she decided to eavsedrop. The young she-cat slowly crept up to the side of the den and sat down, ears pricked.

"Are you sure this is an omen?" came Bramblestar's muffled voice.

"I'm positive, Bramblestar," Nettlebreeze replied.

Bramblestar was silent for a few moments before finally asking, "Can you determine exactly what it means?"

"Not all of our warriors are loyal," Nettlebreeze whispered. "This is a sign that our group is falling apart. Like the berries, our warriors are withering away. Eventually some of them will leave to peruse a better life, and they won't return. Pretty soon, there will be no warriors left to uphold the warrior code. The Clans will be nothing but a bedtime story, told to kits by their rogue parents."

Bramblestar gasped. "What can we do to stop this?"

"If this is StarClan's will, there is nothing you can do to stop it," came Nettlebreeze's reply.

The ThunderClan leader let out another sigh, before muttering something inaudible.

Viperpaw then stood up and scurried away, too shocked to listen further. She then glanced around the clearing, trying to determine which cats would be the first to abandon the group.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a group meeting!" Bramblestar yowled.

Viperpaw stood there for a few moments, surprised that Bramblestar would call a meeting so soon.

"What are you doing?" Crowfeather asked as he padded forward. "You know you're not supposed to start a group meeting without consulting us." The dark gray tom flicked his tail towards Leafstar and Reedwhisker, who both looked confused.

"I'm sorry, but there was no time. This is important," Bramblestar meowed urgently.

Crowfeather scowled, but didn't say anything.

"I would just like to remind you all that the warrior code still matters," Bramblestar began, earning a few surprised gasps from the crowd that had gathered. "Despite our new lifestyle, we are Clan cats, not rogues. I hope you will remember this for moons to come, because if we don't stick together-"

"Are you calling us rogues?" Hootclaw demanded, leaping to his paws.

"Yeah, how dare you!" Flameclaw snarled.

"No, that's not what I'm trying to say at all!" Bramblestar said.

"Then what are you trying to say?" Crowfeather hissed as he climbed up to the top of the Large Boulder. "Because it really feels as though you think we're disloyal."

"I'm just saying we need to remember our roots," the ThunderClan leader said while looking Crowfeather straight in the eyes. "If we don't stick together now, the Clans will cease to exist."

Crowfeather narrowed his eyes. "If you haven't noticed, we _are_ sticking together, and we have been since the earthquake. Quit trying to stir up drama that isn't needed," the WindClan cat spat, his neck fur bristling.

"I don't know why you're so surprised," Reedwhisker spoke up. "After all, ThunderClan cats think they're entitled to the whole forest."

Bramblestar stared at Reedwhisker, clearly shocked. "Reedwhisker..." he started, but trailed off.

"Don't start, Bramblestar. You know it's true! You've been acting as the main leader for this group since we've banded together, and I'm sick of it. I have just as much experience as you do when it comes to leading a Clan!" Reedwhisker snarled.

Leafstar stepped up beside Reedwhisker. "I think we all need to calm down," the SkyClan leader meowed. "Fighting is only going to lead to more problems."

"Like you have any room to talk," Crowfeather snapped. "You're not a proper leader, and every cat knows it."

"Excuse me?" Leafstar growled, narrowing her eyes.

"You heard me," Crowfeather said. "You're a terrible leader, Leafstar. You can barely keep your Clan of kittypets and rogues together. Not to mention, every time a problem came through, you always faced being wiped out!"

"How dare you speak to her like that!" Birchflower hissed, pushing her way to the front of the crowd.

Leafstar gave her Clanmate a sympathetic glance before meowing, "I'm a better leader than you'll ever be, Crowfeather, and you know it. You're a fox-hearted piece of dung!"

"STOP!" Nettlebreeze roared. The clearing grew silent as the medicine cat marched through the clearing, eyes narrowed. "Get off that rock immediately," she spat at Bramblestar and Crowfeather.

The two toms lingered for a few seconds, before slithering off the Large Boulder. From there, Nettlebreeze climbed up in their place. "How dare you fight like this?" she snapped. "This is how kits behave, not warriors! You should all be ashamed of yourselves."

"We're just trying to make our voices heard," Flameclaw argued.

Nettlebreeze gave her brother an annoyed look. "Arguing like a bunch of newborn kits isn't going to solve any problems," she replied dryly.

Flameclaw's neck fur bristled slightly. "And what will solve our problems, then? Because none of the leaders are doing anything to get our old lives back in order! I'm sick of living in this camp doing the same thing every single day. I want to return back to the pine forest so I can start rebuilding ShadowClan's camp!"

"Our camp will never be rebuilt and you know it," Pinenose spoke up.

Flameclaw barred his teeth in a snarl. "You never know if you don't try!"

"There's no point in trying!" Pinenose argued.

The dark ginger tom was silent for a few moments, before finally declaring, "I'm going to try anyways, and when I prove you wrong don't say I told you so!" Flameclaw then stood up and marched towards the camp entrance. "If any cat would like to join me, feel free. You know where to find me."

No cat moved.

"Fine then. I don't need your help anyways. I'll rebuild ShadowClan all by myself!" Flameclaw shrugged, before padding out into the night, never to be seen again.

* * *

 **I'm very pleased with how this chapter turned out, and I hope you all liked it as well. Do you think more cats will decide to leave? If so, do you think they will be successful in their attempts to start a new life? Do you think the omen Nettlebreeze received is true, or do you think the cats will figure out a way to keep the warrior code alive?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Pantherpaw jolted awake, alarmed by the sound of screeching cats. He quickly bolted out of the den, only to see a sight that made his blood run cold.

A hawk had grabbed one of the kits, and was frantically trying to fly away with it. Daisy, Finchfoot, Shyfur and several warriors were all leaping up at the giant bird, trying to fight it off. With every blow, the hawk simply grabbed onto the kit tighter, causing it to squeal with pain.

Pantherpaw stood there, frozen to his spot. He wanted to look away, but he simply couldn't. As he watched, his heart started beating faster and faster, making him feel as though he would explode at any second.

Finally the hawk dropped the kit, before flying away. All three of the queens crowded over the kit, trying to make sure it was okay.

Pantherpaw slowly crept up towards them, curious about the kit's condition. When he got close enough, his heart lurched. The hawk's talons had made deep wounds into the kit's side, causing blood to pool out uncontrollably. When he looked to the tiny kit's face, he automatically knew it had not survived the attack.

"She's dead..." Daisy croaked, her eyes glistening.

Finchfoot and Shyfur just stood there, stunned. "I can't believe this happened," Shyfur finally rasped.

"What happened to Blossomkit?" Branchkit questioned as he peered out of the nursery.

Daisy instantly ushered Branchkit and Dapplekit back into the nursery. "Go back inside," the cream-colored she-cat ordered, before giving them both a small lick on the head.

Branchkit tried to peer past her once more, before finally heading back into the nursery.

"You need to see Nettlebreeze," Bramblestar ordered as he walked up.

Daisy shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she insisted, before gazing back at Blossomkit's body.

"You have a deep wound on the side of your flank," Shyfur meowed, eyeing Daisy's wound.

The ThunderClan queen looked down at the side of her flank, before letting out a small gasp. There on her side was a deep, bleeding wound caused by one of the hawk's talons. "I hadn't even realized..." she trailed off.

Bramblestar wrapped his tail across Daisy's shoulders. "You three did your best," he promised, before leading Daisy away.

As Pantherpaw watched her go, he felt his heart twist with grief. Blossomkit had been so young, yet she had died such a painful and violent death. _Is this really what being a warrior means?_ He thought, before gazing out across the clearing.

"Are you okay?" Crowfeather asked as he walked up.

Pantherpaw stared at his father for a few moments, before shaking his head. "No," he whispered, before pressing his face into Crowfeather's chest. "I'm not okay. I can't handle all of this death and destruction any more!"

Crowfeather flinched slightly, before giving his son an awkward lick on the forehead. "Blossomkit's death was hard on all of us, but it's one of the things we have to accept in the wild."

"I don't want to live in the wild anymore," Pantherpaw spat as he pulled away from his father. The dark gray tom then glared at him, angry and upset. How could Crowfeather just expect him to move on, after watching a helpless kit die?

"Pantherpaw..." Crowfeather sighed. Before his father could say anything more, a patrol of cats came rushing into camp.

"Rogues attacked us near the gorge!" Hollystorm called out. "We need backup!"

Crowfeather nodded, before bounding off to gather up cats.

Pantherpaw sighed. _Of course he values his job over his son,_ he thought bitterlybefore heading back into the apprentices den.

Inside, Webpaw was sitting up in her nest, eyes wide. "What happened?" she wondered.

"Blossomkit got killed by a hawk," he answered sadly.

Webpaw let out a gasp. "That's awful..." she whispered.

"Yeah," Pantherpaw agreed before laying back down in his nest. Right as he shut his eyes to fall asleep, Webpaw came and sat down next to him. Pantherpaw blinked up at her, confused. Since the earthquake, his crush had been distant from him, so it was a surprise how friendly she was being.

"How did training go today?" Webpaw wondered, trying to change the subject.

"It was okay." Pantherpaw shrugged. "Mudwhisker taught me a few battle moves, and then we went and marked the border over by the river."

Webpaw smiled slightly, before pricking her ears. A few seconds later, she bounded over to the dens entrance and peered outside. Finally, Jaggedpaw came padding into the den, eyes shining.

"You won't believe what happened!" Webpaw exclaimed. "Blossomkit was killed by a hawk!"

Jaggedpaw stood there, astonished. "You're joking, right?"

Webpaw shook her head. "No. Pantherpaw saw it happen... He said it was truly awful."

Jaggedpaw glanced over at him and frowned. "That poor kit," he murmured to himself, before padding over to his own nest. Webpaw followed closely behind him, before sitting next to him. The two then started whispering among themselves, to Pantherpaw's annoyance.

Pantherpaw growled as he watched the two. Why was Webpaw suddenly following Jaggedpaw around like a lost kit? He quickly looked away, too upset to listen in on their conversation.

"I'm going to visit my sister," he suddenly meowed, before padding out of the den. On his way, he quickly grabbed a vole. Once inside the elders den, he dropped it at his sister's paws.

"I already ate," his sister meowed, pushing the vole away.

The dark gray apprentice sighed. "Of course you did," he groaned.

Flurrypaw eyed him. "I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that," she said, before sitting up. "I heard about Blossomkit. It was such a tragedy."

"Hawks are bad this time of year," Patchfoot spoke up. "I remember one year, we lost three kits to those fox-hearts."

"I remember that too," Creekfeather added. "We all tried to save the kits, but those hawks are just too strong."

"ThunderClan never had to deal with that sort of thing," Spiderleg muttered from his nest. "Our thick canopy of trees always protected us from birds of prey."

"What about Snowkit?" Flurrypaw questioned, remembering the tale of the deaf kit that had been carried off so many moons ago.

Before Spiderleg could say anything, Pantherpaw interrupted with, "Can we talk about something else?"

His sister flattened her ears to her head. "Sorry," she whispered, before looking away.

Pantherpaw shrugged, before heading towards the den's entrance. "Its nothing. Goodbye," he muttered, before squeezing out. He heard Flurrypaw call out for him, but he ignored it. _I need some fresh air,_ he thought as he padded out of camp.

As he walked through the moorland grass, the breeze blew at him, ruffling his pelt. The young tom paused to take a deep breath. His eyes widened as he picked up trace of an unfamiliar cat.

Pantherpaw followed after the scent the best he could. Eventually it lead him to an abandoned badger sett, where a dark brown tabby tom sat. For a second, the apprentice thought that he was hallucinating the image of Tigerstar (or at least, what he imagined Tigerstar to look like from the nursery tales he had heard), but after staring closer he realized this cat was merely a kittypet that posed no threat..

The tom's fur was groomed neatly, and his eyes were shining with happiness. A few seconds later, a black she-cat padded out of the grass to touch noses with the tom. Pantherpaw gasped as he realized it was Viperpaw.

 _What in the name of StarClan is she doing here?_ He thought, angry and confused.

"Sorry I was late. I was out hunting," Viperpaw said.

"Don't worry about it. I haven't been waiting here for very long," the tom replied. "I'm so excited to learn how to hunt!" the tom added. "Is it hard?"

Viperpaw shook her head. "It depends. Some cats are natural born hunters, while others not so much."

"What are you?" the tom asked.

Viperpaw smirked a little bit. "Not to brag or anything, but I'm a pretty good hunter. Now, let's get going!"

Before the two could take off, Pantherpaw burst out of the grass. "What's going on?" he demanded, before glaring at Viperpaw.

The black she-cat stood there, eyes wide. "I promise I'll explain later," she meowed in a hushed voice, "but for now, I would really appreciate it if you left!"

Pantherpaw stood his ground. "No! I will not leave until you explain to me what's going on," he declared.

Viperpaw glared at him. "Fine! I'm teaching my friend how to hunt for himself. Is that such a crime?"

"Yes, it is. The warrior code-"

"I don't care about the stupid warrior code!" Viperpaw interrupted. "Now leave me alone, Pantherpaw."

Pantherpaw stared at her, shocked. "What do you mean? You're a Clan cat! You have to care..."

Viperpaw glanced over at the dark tabby tom, who looked absolutely mortified. She then turned back to Pantherpaw and affirmed, "I'm not happy in the Clan, therefore I have no reason to care about the warrior code."

"You're not going to run away, are you?" he whimpered. When Viperpaw didn't reply, he added, "Please don't run away. You're my friend, Viperpaw. Besides, we need you..." Pantherpaw felt his eyes water as he spoke. The Clans had already lost so many cats, they couldn't afford to lose Viperpaw too! She was a valuable cat, that would grow up to be a fine warrior.

"I'll talk to you about this later," Viperpaw whispered, before padding into the grass. The dark tabby tom eyed Pantherpaw for a few moments, before rushing after her.

As Pantherpaw watched them go, his heart twisted with sadness. "Please don't go," he repeated softly, before heading back towards camp.

* * *

Pantherpaw groaned as something repeatedly jabbed him in the side. Slowly, he lifted up his head and grunted, "I'm awake. Now will you please stop poking me?"

"Follow me," a voice which he instantly recognized as Viperpaw's meowed.

Fully awake, the dark gray tom followed his denmate out of camp. The two cats walked in silence for a while, before Viperpaw paused at a boulder. With a few quick leaps, she was at the top, motioning for him to come join her.

Pantherpaw climbed up after her, much slower. When he reached the top, he took a seat next to her. "Are you really thinking of leaving?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

Viperpaw nodded. "I am," she replied, not meeting his gaze.

"Why?" he asked, too stunned to ask more.

Viperpaw shuffled her paws awkwardly for a few seconds before revealing, "I've never been happy as a Clan cat. From the moment I was born, cats judged me for who my parents were."

"What?" Pantherpaw interrupted. "Why would they do such a thing? Spiderleg and Amberclaw were both respectable warriors!"

The black she-cat huffed. "Some cats held grudges against my father for what happened with Daisy. They didn't think he cared for any cat other than himself. So when Amberclaw announced she was expecting his kits, most cats automatically assumed that Spiderleg had simply used her or that he would leave her alone as well," she replied.

"That's stupid..." Pantherpaw remarked.

Viperpaw snorted. "Tell me about it. Anyways, I just don't feel as though I belong in a Clan. There are too many rules and regulations to follow, which isn't for me. I'd rather be a rogue with a free will, who isn't judged by any other cat and who can do what they please. I'd be much happier that way."

Pantherpaw frowned. "What about your father, though? He'll be crushed to learn that you've run away. You're all he has left..."

"Leaving is for the best," Viperpaw insisted, before looking up at the stars. She then asked, "Are you happy as Clan cat?"

"I-I could never run away!" he blurted out.

"That's not what I asked," Viperpaw growled. "I said: are you happy? It's a simple yes or no question."

Pantherpaw thought about it for a few moments. "No," he replied softly.

"Then why do you stay?" she murmured.

His sat there for a few minutes, unsure of how to answer the question. He honestly didn't know why he stayed. Was it because of his family, or because of the sense of duty he had for his Clanmates? "I don't know," he finally breathed. "I suppose I just feel like I _have_ to stay."

"I see," Viperpaw meowed softly.

"When will you leave?" Pantherpaw questioned, unable to meet her gaze.

Viperpaw shrugged. "Perhaps within the next moon or so. Shadow and I haven't got all the details down."

"Shadow? Is he that tom you were with earlier?" Pantherpaw asked.

She nodded. "Yes. He's a good friend of mine."

The young tom sighed. "At least you won't be completely alone," he grumbled.

"You won't tell anyone, right?"

"Huh?"

"You won't tell anyone that I'm running away, will you?" Viperpaw clarified.

Pantherpaw shrugged. "I can't make any promises, Viperpaw."

"You have to!" she urged. "I can't have them track me down. If they do, everything will be ruined. You _have_ to promise me you'll keep your mouth shut, okay?" Viperpaw stared at him, her eyes wide with fear.

He hesitated for a few moments, before promising, "I won't say anything."

A small purr rose up in the black she-cat's throat, which surprised Pantherpaw. He had hardly ever seen her purr – or be happy for that matter – so to know he had pleased her made him feel good.

She then stood to her paws and declared, "We should probably head back to camp. It will be morning soon, and if any cat realizes we sneaked out we'll be in big trouble." Viperpaw bounded down the side of the boulder, with Pantherpaw at her side.

As they walked back to camp, Pantherpaw felt his heart twist with grief. "You'll say goodbye to me before you leave, right?" he asked, pausing in his tracks.

Viperpaw glanced back at him. "Sure," she said, before padding into camp, leaving Pantherpaw alone in the night.

* * *

 **This chapter was very emotional, especially at the beginning. I had a hard time killing Blossomkit off, but I felt as though it had to be done. A Clan cat's life is never easy, so unfortunate things like that happen from time to time. At least Blossomkit was reunited in StarClan with Lilyheart and Bumblestripe, who will watch over her. Also, how do you feel about the fact that Viperpaw has decided to leave the Clan? Do you think she'll change her mind later on, or do you think she will stay away forever?**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

The sun was beginning to rise as Viperpaw padded back into camp. She had spent another night out, talking with Shadow. The dark tabby tom had demanded why she had lied to him about being a rogue.

"I didn't think you'd like me if you knew I was a Clan cat," Viperpaw confessed, lowering her head.

"Why would you think that?" Shadow demanded, his eyes narrowed with confusion.

"I don't know. I just thought you wouldn't like me." Viperpaw shrugged, before standing to her paws. "I-I should get going," she meowed awkwardly.

"No, don't go!" Shadow cried out. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you, Viperpaw. Just know that you don't have to lie to me about who you are. You're a really great friend and teacher." The dark tabby tom nuzzled her quickly before asking, "Have you made up your mind?"

"About leaving?" the black she-cat wondered.

Shadow nodded.

"Yes," Viperpaw replied. "I'm going to leave sometime within the next week."

Shadow smiled for a few seconds, before frowning. "You know, you don't have to leave if you don't want to. If being in your Clan makes you happy, then by all means stay."

Viperpaw shook her head. "That's the thing. I'm _not_ happy." Why was every cat trying to stop her from leaving? Didn't they realize this was what she wanted?

"I'm just making sure," Shadow said defensively. "How about we go on a quick hunt? I want to show you my new skills!" he then meowed, clearly trying to change the subject.

Viperpaw nodded, before bounding through the tall grass after her companion. The two hunted until dawn, catching two voles, a sparrow and a shrew.

"You can take this back to your friends," she meowed as she turned to head back towards camp.

"No, take the voles. Your Clanmates need to eat too," Shadow insisted.

Too tired to argue, Viperpaw snatched the voles from him before heading in the direction of camp. Once she arrived, she dropped the voles onto the fresh-kill pile and headed towards her nest.

Right as she was about to pad into the apprentices den, Bramblestar stopped her.

"You're up early," he commented.

"I had to go to the dirt place," Viperpaw lied.

"Ah, I see. Well, since you're up I was hoping you could accompany me on the border patrol with Lionblaze, Sandstripe and Hollystorm," Bramblestar meowed.

Viperpaw groaned. "I can't," she said. "I'm still too tired."

Bramblestar eyed her. "Excuse me?"

"Fine," she huffed as she followed him towards the camp entrance.

"That's more like it," Bramblestar purred, before meeting up with the others. As the five cats padded out onto the moorland, Viperpaw felt as though she would collapse with exhaustion at any moment. Bramblestar had worked her hard all day yesterday, and now she was practically running on empty.

 _That's what you get for staying up all night,_ mouse-brain! A voice inside her head growled. The black she-cat simply rolled her eyes, before continuing on her way.

"It seems as though the rogues passed through here recently," Lionblaze growled as he sniffed at a boulder. The golden tom then marked the boulder, covering up the rogues scent.

"When will those mouse-brains learn that this is our territory?" Hollystorm spat. Glancing at Bramblestar she declared, "We should attack them and teach them a lesson."

Bramblestar frowned. "We can't," he said.

"Why? They're trespassing on our land!" Sandstripe argued.

"They could outnumber is," Bramblestar explained. "Since the earthquake destroyed the Twolegs place, many of the rogues there have moved into the forest. If they all gang up, they could wipe us out."

"So we're just supposed to let them steal our prey and claim our territory as their own?" Lionblaze retorted, flicking his tail back and forth.

"If they try to steal your prey, that's a different story. What I'm trying to say is we can't afford a large scale battle this close to leaf-fall. Green-leaf will be over in about two moons, so we need to put all our effort into stocking up on prey and herbs," the ThunderClan leader explained.

Just then, the grass rustled and a large black-and-white tom stepped out. Several other cats followed him out, their eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's impolite to talk about others?" the black-and-white tom demanded.

"And didn't your mother ever tell you it wasn't nice to steal?" Lionblaze growled, his hackles raising.

"We aren't stealing!" the ginger she-cat spat. "We lived on this land before the Clans did, so we have a right to hunt here. You're the thief!"

Viperpaw could feel her body shake from fatigue as she unsheathed her claws. There was no way she could fight against these rogues!

"We aren't looking for trouble," Bramblestar warned, trying to keep the peace. "So if you would just let us be on our way..."

Just then, the black-and-white tom leaped at Bramblestar, knocking him to the ground. The rest of the rogue cats followed after their leader, and within seconds the area was covering in fighting cats.

A small gray she-cat leaped at Viperpaw, nearly knocking her to the ground. Viperpaw barred her fangs, before raking her claws across the she-cat's shoulder, however she was so tired that her claws barely grazed her fur.

The she-cat chortled. "Is that the best you can do?" she demanded, before giving a blow to Viperpaw's muzzle.

Viperpaw hissed with pain as she felt scarlet blood well up on the wound. Gathering all of her energy, she leaped at the she-cat and bit down on her hind leg.

The gray she-cat squealed, before ripping free of Viperpaw's grasp. Before Viperpaw could reach out to grab the rogue again, another cat leaped onto her back, throwing her to the ground.

The apprentice squirmed under the weight of the two rogues, but it was impossible to escape their grip.. Her body was too fatigued to properly fight back. As the rogues worked together to bring blow after blow to Viperpaw's body, she felt her eyes droop. She was so exhausted that she couldn't tell whether or not she was simply falling asleep, or if she was dying.

Finally, the weight on Viperpaw vanished. Her yellow eyes flickered open, to reveal Pantherpaw standing over her.

"Are you okay?" he demanded as he sniffed at her wounds.

"W-what are you doing here?" Viperpaw croaked.

"We heard the fighting from camp so we came to help," Pantherpaw explained. "Thank StarClan you're not severely wounded!"

Viperpaw stifled a purr. "Yeah," she agreed. "I thought I was done there for a minute."

"Is every cat okay?" Bramblestar demanded, panting.

"We're fine," Crowfeather spat as he pulled a tuft of rogue fur out of his claws. "I can't believe you walked right into their trap, though! Couldn't you smell their scent? This place is practically covered in their stench!"

"It's not Bramblestar's fault!" Squirrelflight hissed, jumping to her mate's defense.

"I'm not saying it was his fault. I'm just saying he should have known better than to linger in an area covered with rogues for so long," the dark gray tom sniffed.

"What's your problem, Crowfeather? You're even more of a jerk than usual!" Squirrelflight demanded as her tail lashed back and forth.

"That's enough," Bramblestar said.

"No," the ThunderClan deputy argued. "I want to know why Crowfeather is behaving this way. He's been nothing but a jerk since the earthquake occurred. I really thought you had changed, but I suppose not." Squirrelflight turned and stormed in the direction of camp.

Crowfeather watched her go with narrowed eyes. "We should head back too, before the rogues return with backup."

Pantherpaw slowly nudged Viperpaw to her paws, and together the two apprentices made the trek towards camp.

When they arrived back at camp, Viperpaw headed straight to the den.

"Aren't you going to see Nettlebreeze?" Pantherpaw asked, his blue eyes round with worry.

"I'm too tired," she grunted as she plopped down into her nest.

Pantherpaw took a seat next to her. "Are you sure?"

Viperpaw nodded. "Yes. Now could you please leave me alone? I'm really exhausted."

The dark gray tom nodded slowly, before padding to the den entrance. He lingered there for a few moments, before leaving Viperpaw alone.

* * *

When Viperpaw woke up again, it was late in the evening. Her entire body was sore, but she did her best to suppress the pain. Not wanting to disturb her denmates, she carefully crept out of the den and into the clearing. To her luck, every cat was asleep in their nests.

 _Tonight is the night,_ she decided as she glanced up at the moon. Her yellow gaze then drifted over to the elders den, where her father was asleep. Viperpaw felt a pang of sadness in her chest as she realized how heartbroken her father would be without her.

 _I have to say goodbye,_ she thought as she crossed the clearly. As quiet as possible, the apprentice slid into the elders den and took a seat next to Spiderleg's nest.

The black-and-brown tom had a pained expression on his face as he slept, and he let out a few whimpers here and there. "Don't... don't leave," he muttered a few times.

Viperpaw flattened her ears to her head as she watched her father sleep.

Suddenly, Spiderleg's eyes fluttered open. The old tom glanced up at his daughter, before letting out a sigh of relief. "Viperpaw," he breathed. "I was just having a dream about you."

Viperpaw felt her throat tighten. Had StarClan sent a message to her father, warning him that she would run away? "W-what was it about?" she whispered.

"You were missing," Spiderleg replied. "Every cat was out searching for you, but you where no where to be found. It was awful, but you're here now." Spiderleg slid over in his nest, allowing Viperpaw to settle down beside him.

"It was just a dream," she said as she gave her father a few licks.

"I know, but I can't imagine losing you. You're all I have left," her father said. Spiderleg then closed his eyes and let out a rusty purr.

"I promise I'll never leave you," Viperpaw lied. She felt tears well up in her eyes as she spoke. Come morning, she would be gone. Spiderleg would never see her again.

 _It's for the best,_ she told herself. _My destiny doesn't involve the Clans._

Once Spiderleg was asleep, Viperpaw pulled away from his grip. "I'm sorry that I'm leaving, but I have to. Please remember that I love you," she whispered into his ear, before racing out of the den.

Her heart was pounding, and her eyes were threatening to spill tears at any moment. Without hesitating, the young apprentice bounded for the camp entrance.

Once outside, she was met by a strong gust of wind. Viperpaw stopped for a few minutes, enjoying the cool evening breeze. She then headed in the direction of the Twolegs place. The black she-cat paused by a clump of heather.

 _I need to disguise my scent,_ she realized. Viperpaw quickly rolled around in the heather, until her scent was unrecognizable. From there, she continued on her way.

When she reached the top of the rise, she glanced back down at where WindClan's camp lay. She almost felt as though she should turn around and go back, but it was too late now. Her new life as a rogue was beginning, and it was for the best.

* * *

 **I know this chapter was supposed to be from Flurrypaw's perspective, but I can't think of anything to write from her perspective at this time. There's not much she can do anyways, with her paw still injured. From here on out though, the chapters will be out of order. Some characters may get several chapters in a row, while others may only get one every once and a while. This chapter was very sad for me to write though. I feel so bad for Spiderleg, even though it's for the best that Viperpaw is leaving. How do you think Spiderleg will react when he finds out?**

 **Also, I would like to give a special thanks to Railgunner. To be honest, I considered giving up on this story. Not to sound whiny or anything, but due to the lack of reviews, follows and favorites I kind of thought that people were starting to hate this story. Your review made me remember that there are many lurkers out there who love this story, and who would be devastated if I stopped writing. So thank you for taking the time to leave your positive comment on here. :)**

 **Thanks everyone! Hope you enjoyed.**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Strange scents swamped Viperpaw as she padded into the Twolegsplace. All around her were piles of rubble, from where the former Twoleg nests had stood. In the distance, she could see a fire flickering and some Twolegs walking about.

She sniffed the air, hoping to catch scent of Shadow. Her friend was no where to be found though, which disappointed her. _Now what am I supposed to do?_ She thought, before continuing into the ruins of the Twolegs place.

"Shadow!" she yowled several times.

Suddenly, a piece of rock went whirling at her. Viperpaw ducked just in time, her eyes wide.

A Twoleg then began to shout angrily at her, before tossing a few more rocks.

Viperpaw scurried away, frightened for her life. As she continued deeper into the Twolegs place, her heart beat quickened. This wasn't what she imagined coming becoming a rogue would be like at all!

A strange sound then alerted her. Glancing to her left, she saw an old dog laying in an ally. The dog was gnawing on a bone as it slept, which caused a loud slobbering sound.

Viperpaw could feel her fur fluff up at the sight of the dog. I need to get out of here quick! She realized, before darting down another ally. The she-cat padded all throughout the night in search of her friend, but it was useless. There wasn't a scent of Shadow anywhere!

The young she-cat let out a hiss of annoyance, before crawling into a strange Twoleg object. It was slightly damp from the dew, but it was better than nothing. Within moments of shutting her eyes, Viperpaw drifted into a light sleep.

"You're in my nest!" an angry voice hissed.

Viperpaw's yellow eyes shot open. Looking up, she saw that a gray-and-white she-cat was standing over her. "I'm sorry. I'll leave immediately," she said, before darting out of the strange Twoleg object.

The she-cat eyed her for a few moments. "Have I seen you around here before?" she questioned.

Viperpaw looked over the she-cat. "You're Cory, right?" she asked, remembering the time she encountered she-cat with Shadow.

The gray-and-white she-cat nodded. "Yep. Hey, you're Shadow's little buddy aren't you?"

"Yes," Viperpaw said. "Do you know where Shadow is?" A twinge of hope sparked in her chest as she stared at Cory.

To her disappointment, Cory simply shook her head. "I can take you to his brother, though."

"That would be great," Viperpaw purred.

Cory smirked, before padding into her den.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to take me to Shadow's brother!" she demanded.

"I need some rest," Cory yawned as she curled up.

Viperpaw flicked her tail back and forth irritably. "Well, what am I supposed to do in the mean time?" It was still night, and Viperpaw was exhausted.

To her surprise, Cory moved over just enough for Viperpaw to lay down. "Come share my box with me," she called out.

Viperpaw blinked at she she-cat gratefully, before padding back into the box. There she curled up next to the gray-and-white she-cat. "Thanks," she said.

Cory wrinkled her nose. "You smell like you've been rolling around in every flower bed in town!"

"Is it bad?" Viperpaw sighed.

"No, not bad. Just... very strong!" Cory laughed, before shutting her eyes. Within minutes, the she-cat was snoring, leaving Viperpaw to her thoughts. Luckily, Viperpaw was able to find sleep quickly.

* * *

The next morning, Viperpaw and Cory set out in search of Shadow's brother. "What's his name?" she wondered.

"Pepper," Cory answered. "He's a plump brown-and-white tabby with a dark nose who lives on the edge of town."

"Are you sure he'll know where Shadow is?" Viperpaw questioned. "I don't want to talk all the way to his nest if he doesn't know where his brother is."

Cory shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? This is our only option, so we have to try it. If he doesn't know where Shadow is, I'm sure he can figure something out. The two are as close as peas in a pod."

Her pelt prickled with anxiety as she followed after Cory. Soon her paws began to ache from walking on the tough stone underpaw. As she walked, she looked around at all the crumbled Twoleg dens. "What happened to all the Twolegs?"

"Most of them left," Cory muttered darkly. A look of anger crossed the gray-and-white she-cat's face.

"Did your Twolegs abandon you?" Viperpaw wondered softly.

Cory grunted. "Isn't that a little personal?" she hissed.

Viperpaw flattened her ears to her head. I was just asking a question!

The rest of the walk to Pepper's nest was silent. By the time they arrived, Viperpaw's paws were aching. "His Twolegs were lucky," Viperpaw commented when she saw that the structure was still standing.

"Wait here," Cory demanded as she climbed up over the fence. A few moments later, she reappeared with Pepper at her side.

The large tabby tom ungracefully balanced on the fence for a few moments, before leaping down beside her. "You're looking for Shadow?" he purred, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Viperpaw nodded.

"Well, I don't know where he is. I haven't seen him in a few days, to be honest. But if you'd like, you can come take a break inside my housefolk's nest? There's plenty of food and water to drink," Pepper offered.

The black she-cat shook her head. "No thanks," she said, trying her best not to grimace.

Pepper shrugged, before bunching his muscles for a leap.

"Wait!" she called out. "Couldn't you at least help us track Shadow down? It's very important." Please don't tell me I came all this way for absolutely nothing!

Pepper was thoughtful for a few moments. "I guess I can spare a few hours." he smiled, before leading the two she-cats down a random ally.

They walked until the sun was starting to set in the sky, and still no sign of the dark tabby tom anywhere. Viperpaw stopped and let out a hiss, "Are you really leading us anywhere, or are you just taking a leisurely stroll? Because this is important!"

Pepper blinked at her a few times. "Sorry," he muttered. Pepper then glanced up at the sky and exclaimed, "I need to return back to my housefolk immediately! They'll be looking for me." Before Viperpaw or Cory could say anything, the tabby-and-white tom trotted off.

Cory flicked her ear. "Well, that was pointless," she grumbled.

"You said he would help!" Viperpaw growled.

The gray-and-white she-cat shrugged. "I thought he would." Then she stood up and headed down the ally.

"Where are you going?" Viperpaw called out, following after Cory.

"I'm going on my way. Good luck, furball. You're going to need a lot of it!" Cory waved her tail in goodbye, before turning the corner out of sight.

Darkness covered the town as Viperpaw looked for a place to sleep. She was irritable, hungry and alone. Where could Shadow be? Surely he wasn't out on the moorlands looking for her?

Suddenly, Viperpaw heard the sound of cats talking. She slowly peered down an ally, where she spotted a group of six cats eating and sharing tongues. Most of them looked ragged and ill, but she didn't care.

Slowly, she headed down the ally. "Greetings," she called out.

The group immediately turned and looked at her. "Get outta 'ere!" a mangy brown tom growled.

Viperpaw's neck fur bristled in alarm. "I don't mean any trouble," she insisted. "I've just come to ask if you've seen my friend around."

A ginger she-cat stood up and padded up to Viperpaw. "I remember you! You're that Clan cat that got beat up by Owl and Gorse. If it hadn't of been for your little friend, they would have turned you into mouse-meat!" The she-cat let out a few laughs.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Viperpaw snarled, trying to hide her injuries. "I'm a rogue just like the rest of you."

The she-cat snorted. "Sure you are. Now scram, or we'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget!"

Viperpaw glared at the she-cat before turning away. _Stupid, mangy fox-hearts!_ She thought as she stormed down the side of the Thunderpath. When she reached the edge of the Twolegs place, she gazed out at the forest and moorland. By now, everyone would realize that she had run away.

 _They're probably glad I'm gone,_ she thought with a snort. Except for Spiderleg, Pantherpaw, Bramblestar and Daisy, Viperpaw couldn't think of a single cat that would miss her company. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that no one cared, deep down inside she knew that wasn't true.

Have I made a mistake? She wondered. Viperpaw let out a deep sigh, before shaking her head. _No. Leaving the Clan was the right thing to do._ _Sure, things are tough right now, but once I find Shadow everything will work out for the best._

"Hey! Are you hungry?"

Viperpaw spun around to see a snowy white she-cat heading towards her. She instantly recognized her from the group of cats earlier.

"Why?" Viperpaw asked, not wanting to seem weak.

"You just look like you could use something to eat," the white she-cat replied, before placing a scrap of Twoleg food down. "I can tell you're not from around here, so I thought you could use this. It won't be as delicious as a piece of fresh-kill, but it will satisfy your hunger for now." The she-cat's green eyes were full of sympathy as she went on, "and I'm sorry about my... _friends_. They can really be jerks sometimes."

Viperpaw bent her head down and gobbled the piece of food up. It tasted weird in her mouth, but she was too hungry to care. She hadn't eaten since yesterday, and she didn't know when she would get her next meal. "Thank you," she meowed once she was done.

"You're welcome," the she-cat replied. "If you ever need my help, just go around asking for Blizzard. I'll be more than happy to help."

"Blizzard," Viperpaw noted to herself. Looking up she asked, "Do you by any chance know a cat named Shadow? He's a large dark brown tabby tom with green eyes and a fluffy tail."

Blizzard thought for a few moments. "I thought I saw him around earlier. Why?"

"I need to speak with him," she replied.

Blizzard nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for him, and if I see him later tonight I'll be sure to send him your way. Where is your nest at?"

"I don't have one," Viperpaw meowed, not meeting Blizzard's gaze.

"I'm sure you'll find something," Blizzard meowed. "I have to go. Flicker is calling for me!" she said, before bounding away.

Viperpaw watched her go, before continuing on her way. Finally she stumbled across a few standing Twoleg nests. As she scrambled up onto the fence, she saw a few rose bushes sitting in one of the yards. Carefully, Viperpaw scrambled into the yard and made her way under the bush. The thorns scraped at her back, but she was too tired to care.

* * *

The next morning, a light drizzle fell from the sky. As Viperpaw crawled out from underneath the rose bush, a few petals fell off and landed on her pelt.

"There you are!" a cheerful voice yowled from the fence.

Viperpaw looked up to see Shadow standing there, his eyes gleaming. "I've been looking for you forever!" she exclaimed, jumping up onto the fence next to him.

"Yeah, that's what Pepper said. Sorry about that," he apologized.

"So now what do we do?" Viperpaw wondered.

"Well, I was thinking we could go on our first hunt together," Shadow meowed. "It will be your first hunt as an official rogue."

Viperpaw purred slightly. "I guess I better chance my name then. From now on, call me Viper!"

"All right, _Viper_. What are you in the mood for?" Shadow asked as he leaped down from the fence.

"Anything!" she confessed as she followed after him. "I'm starving."

Shadow nodded as he lead her towards the forest.

Viper skidded to a halt. "Wait, where are you going? We can't go so close to the Clans! They'll see me and I'll be forced to go back."

"We're not going to go anywhere near the moorlands," the dark brown tabby tom insisted.

Viper hesitated a few moments, before following after him. The two cats then headed into the forest, which still lay in ruins. Before Viper could even scent the air for prey, Shadow darted forward into a clump of ferns. A few seconds later, he held up a mouse.

"Impressive!" she praised.

"Well, I learned from the best," Shadow meowed, his eyes twinkling.

Viper rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to flatter me." She then turned away from him and leaped up onto a fallen log. From there, she scanned the forest for any signs of life. In the distance, she could see a doe and her fawn as they picked their way through the forest. She then spotted a group of...cats?

Viper immediately leaped down, before diving into the clump of brambles. "We've got to hide!" she hissed to Shadow. "My Clanmates are in the forest searching for me."

Shadow's green eyes widened in alarm. Right as he slid into the clump of ferns behind her, the patrol of cats passed.

"I can't pick up her scent anywhere," Thrushfeather complained.

"Me either," Honeysplash sighed. "I don't think we're ever going to find her!"

"This is useless. We should just report back to the leaders," Jaggedpaw added.

Thrushfeather whimpered. "Poor Spiderleg. He's going to be absolutely devastated when Viperpaw doesn't come back."

"Perhaps another patrol found her?" Honeysplash suggested in a cheery tone.

"Maybe. Let's just head back," Thrushfeather replied, before pushing her way through the undergrowth. Honeysplash and Jaggedpaw followed after her.

Viper and Shadow hesitated in the ferns for a few minutes, before sliding out. "I think they're gone now," she whispered to her friend.

"That was close," Shadow commented. "Perhaps we should just head back, before we do get caught!"

Viper nodded, and picked up his mouse. Together they headed back towards the Twolegs place. "I'll take you to my den," Shadow meowed. They walked in silence, until finally Shadow stopped at an abandoned shed.

"I thought you lived with housefolk?" she asked.

"I-I haven't seen my housefolk since the earthquake," Shadow replied slowly, unable to meet her gaze.

Viper's yellow eyes widened. "Shadow... I had no idea. I'm so sorry." She went to wrap her tail around his shoulders, but he flinched.

"Come on, let's go inside," he muttered, before sliding through a hole in the wall.

* * *

 **I meant to get this chapter up last night, but something came up. Also, I apologize if there are any errors. I was not able to edit this chapter because my laptop is at serious risk of overheating and catching on fire. The fan on the inside is broken, meaning it doesn't keep my laptop a normal temperature. If there are any spelling errors, please feel free to point them out.**

 **Thanks for reading! :)**


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Rain poured from the sky, soaking Viper to her skin.

It had been a week since she left her Clan, and so far things had been running smoothly. Shadow had taught her how to scavenge for food in the Twolegsplace, so that they could avoid hunting in the forest. Truth be told, Viper hated the Twoleg food that they had to dig from the garbage, but it was better than nothing and it was certainly better than being found by the Clans!

She had often wondered what they would think if they had found her. _They would probably call me disloyal_ , Viper thought as she shook water droplets from her whiskers. _Either that, or they would force me to return home._

Sighing, the black she-cat headed in the direction of the abandoned nest she was living in. Once she was there, she crawled through the small gap in the wall and settled down to clean her pelt. A few moments later, Shadow padded in after her.

"Did you find anything?" he questioned as he began to shake his pelt out like a dog.

Viper shook her head. "I couldn't stand the rain, so I came back."

Shadow sighed. "Oh. Well, perhaps we could go out later tonight?"

"Maybe," she replied softly. Suddenly, a flicker of movement over in the corner caught her attention. Squinting, she saw that a small mouse was scurrying around. Fast as lightning, Viper leaped at the mouse, hooking it up in her claws. She tossed it up in the air, before it landed with a squeal. Too stunned to move, the mouse lay there, allowing for Viper to make the killing bite

"Good job!" Shadow praised as he padded up to her.

Viper purred and pushed the mouse towards him. "Take a bite," she said.

Shadow licked his lips, before taking a bite out of the mouse. He then pushed it back towards her and meowed, "You caught it, so you can have the rest."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "You haven't eaten today anyways."

Viper purred, before finishing up the rest of the prey. "What a stupid mouse," she commented once she was done. "You'd think it would know better than to wander in here! After all, this place smells of cat."

Shadow let out a chuckle, before frowning. "D-do you ever feel sorry for the prey you catch?" he whispered.

Viper blinked at him. "No really. Why?"

"Sometimes I get to thinking, and what if the prey we catch have families of their own? Like what if that mouse was scavenging food for her babies, and we killed her? Now her babies are without a mother and food..." Shadow meowed.

Viper frowned. "I don't like to think that way. It's too depressing."

"I'm sorry I brought it up," Shadow sighed. The dark tabby tom rose to his paws, before padding over to his nest on the floor. "I'm going to take a quick nap," he said as he rested his head on his forepaws.

"All right," she replied, before gazing outside. The rain was still falling from the sky, causing her to sigh. The rain reminded her of the day the earthquake changed her life forever. Viper then looked up at the sky, or in the direction of the sky. The wood paneling that stretched across the top of the nest blocked the sky from her view.

 _Mother, why did you have to go?_ Viper thought, flattening her ears to her head. _Father needs you more than ever, and you just abandoned him._

 _Your father needed you more than ever, and you abandoned him as well!_ A voice growled in her head.

Viper looked down at her paws, ashamed at herself. _I'm still not going back,_ she thought looking up at the sky once more. _I don't want to be a Clan cat anymore, so don't guilt trip me into going back!_

Glancing back at Shadow, she decided to join him. Slowly, she padded over to his nest and gently settled down next to him. Shadow didn't move or wake up, which made Viper sigh with relief.

As she lay there, she could feel Shadow's chest as it rose and fell beside her. Viper was glad to have Shadow. He was a good cat, and a good friend. However, she couldn't help but think of Pantherpaw as she stared at him.

 _Why am I thinking of him?_ she thought, shaking clear her head. Pantherpaw was apart of her old life! She couldn't be thinking of him.

Viper pushed the thoughts away the best she could, before squeezing her eyes shut. She tried to fall asleep, but she just couldn't. Standing up, she decided to go on a quick walk.

Once outside the den, she headed in a random direction. Twolegs and monsters swarmed everywhere, causing her to grow slightly nervous. _I guess they're trying to rebuild,_ she thought as she paused beside a large scene of rubble and debris. A bright yellow monster was scooping at the debris, moving it away. Twolegs stood around, shouting and pointing at one another.

Just then, a Twoleg looked at her, causing her to panic. To Viper's relief, it turned and walked away, leaving her alone. _That was too close for my liking!_ She thought, before racing away down the street.

Viper roamed the Twolegsplace for a couple of hours, before returning home. Once she arrived, she saw that Shadow was sitting up grooming himself.

"Where did you go?" he wondered.

"I went for a walk to clear my head," Viper meowed.

"I see." Shadow smiled slightly, before narrowing his eyes. "Are you okay? You seem upset."

She shook her head. "No, I'm completely fine!" Viper insisted. As she headed towards her own nest, her paws suddenly began to tingle. She wasn't sure what was wrong, but she felt the urge to run for miles, or to fight a hundred badgers.

"Are you sure?" Shadow asked as he padded up beside her. His fur brushed up against hers, making her uncomfortable.

Viper gulped, before nodding her head. "I've never been better," she assured him, before curling up in her nest. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some shut eye." Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed that sleep would come quick.

 _What's wrong with me?_ she thought.

 _You're growing bored_ , a voice whispered in her head. _Sooner or later you're going to regret leaving the Clans. Take my word for it._

"No!" she screamed, leaping to her paws.

Shadow's eyes widened. "I think you're coming down with something," he meowed as he walked over to her. Placing a paw on her forehead he said, "You're burning up, Viper."

Viper blinked at him, clearly embarrassed. "I am?"

He nodded. "Do you know any herbs that could take your fever away?"

She was silent for a few minutes. "Feverfew?" she guessed, not really knowing whether or not it would cure her sickness.

Shadow nodded, before heading out. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

Viper watched him go with a sad look on her face. _Am I going mad?_ she wondered as she looked around the den. _Nonsense. It's probably just stuffy in here is all!_ As she sat there, her eyes began to droop. Yawning, she laid her head down and shut her eyes.

The next thing she knew, Shadow was shaking her awake. "I'm back," he meowed.

Viper slowly opened her eyes, before glancing down at a bundle of leaves. "Where did you find these?" she asked.

"I borrowed them from a friend," Shadow said. "You should eat them right away."

Viper nodded, and bent down her head to eat the leaves. Their sour taste made her gag, but she finished most of them.

"I'm going to save the rest for later," he meowed, tucking the leaves away in a safe spot. Turning back to her he asked, "Why did you scream earlier?"

"It's nothing," she meowed, flicking her tail.

"It didn't seem like nothing," Shadow pressed.

"Really, it was nothing. I was just slipping into a bad dream is all," Viper replied.

Shadow flicked his ear. "Okay then," he meowed. "Well, you should probably go back to sleep. I'll be right here if you need me for anything, okay?"

She nodded, before getting settled in her nest once more.

* * *

 **This chapter was a slight filler, but it still held some important hints for future chapters. The next chapter will be from Pantherpaw's point of view, and we will see how the Clans have reacted to Viper's sudden disappearance.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Pantherpaw sat up in his nest and yawned. Pale morning light was beginning to filter into the den, and he could hear the faint sound of birds chirping outside. After glancing around the den, he realized that Viperpaw's nest was empty. Viperpaw was usually the last apprentice to wake up every day!

 _She's gone,_ he thought as he sniffed at her cold nest. She hadn't slept in her nest for hours, meaning she had taken off in the middle of the night. _What do I do? Should I tell some cat?_

"What's wrong?" Webpaw yawned.

"Viperpaw is gone," he whispered.

"What do you mean?" the tortoiseshell she-cat questioned.

"Her nest is cold. She hasn't been in here for hours," Pantherpaw explained.

Webpaw's eyes widened. "Perhaps she got sick in the middle of the night?" she suggested.

Pantherpaw shook his head. "I don't think so. W-we should tell some cat immediately." As the two apprentices padded out of their den, Pantherpaw's stomach churned nervously. He knew exactly where Viperpaw would have gone, but he could not tell any cat.

"Father!" Pantherpaw meowed as he prodded Crowfeather in the side. "You need to wake up. It's an emergency."

Crowfeather slowly blinked open his eyes, before staring up at his son. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Viperpaw is missing," Pantherpaw explained. "Her nest is cold and she's no where to be found." The young tom desperately wanted to tell his father how Viperpaw was planning on running away, but he kept his mouth shut.

Crowfeather's eyes widened. "She's missing? Are you positive?"

Pantherpaw nodded. "Yes. It isn't like her to leave camp so early."

Crowfeather frowned, before padding in the direction of Bramblestar's den. Once inside, Crowfeather quickly woke the sleeping leader up and exclaimed, "Your apprentice is missing!"

Bramblestar jolted awake, eyes wide and fur ruffled. "What are you talking about?"

"Viperpaw is missing," Webpaw told him.

Bramblestar muttered something under his breath, before pushing his way out of the den. Within minutes, the camp clearing was alive with worried cats.

"I always knew there was something wrong with that cat," Hollystorm muttered under her breath.

Pantherpaw stared at her, astonished. "How can you say that?" he demanded.

Hollystorm blinked. "I was her mentor once, you know. Even though our time together was short, I quickly learned that she would never fit in with a Clan. She's lazy and she only thinks of herself. It honestly doesn't surprise me that she would suddenly go missing. She probably ran away like the traitor she is," the black she-cat hissed.

"Don't talk about my daughter like that," Spiderleg hissed as he limped up. Pantherpaw stared at the old tom, surprised that he had made it out into the clearing. Spiderleg was clearly in no shape to be up walking about.

"You need to go back to your nest," Nettlebreeze urged as she nudged him towards the elders den.

Spiderleg jerked away. "My daughter is missing! I need to go look for her."

"You're in no condition to be walking around," Daisy meowed as she walked up. Her gaze softened as she added, "I promise we'll find Viperpaw for you."

Spiderleg hesitated for a few moments, before limping back to his den. Nettlebreeze walked alongside him, supporting him.

"I feel so bad for him," Flurrypaw murmured as she pressed against her brother's side. "But at the same time, I can't say I'm surprised. Hollystorm is right - Viperpaw was never a proper Clan cat. It's probably for the best that she left."

Pantherpaw pulled away from his sister, his eyes wide. "I can't believe you would say something like that!" he exclaimed. "Viperpaw was a Clan cat just like you and me."

"I didn't mean-" Flurrypaw started to say.

Pantherpaw quickly cut her off, "I know exactly what you mean. Honestly, Flurrypaw, what is your problem?" Without waiting to see her reaction, Pantherpaw stalked off in the direction of a search party. _Perhaps I'll be able to find Viperpaw and convince her to come back,_ he thought.

* * *

The sun was setting as Pantherpaw made his way back to camp. He had spent most of the afternoon searching for Viperpaw, before finally going on a hunt with Mudwhisker.

"Do you think we'll ever find her?" Pantherpaw asked his mentor.

Mudwhisker was silent for a few minutes, before shaking his head. "To tell you the truth, I don't think so."

Pantherpaw gulped. "Do you think she's disloyal?" he whispered, slightly afraid to hear his mentor's response.

"Not necessarily," the warrior replied. "For all we know, Viperpaw didn't run away. It's possible she got caught in a trap, attacked by a wild animal, or plenty of other things. And say she did deliberately leave: that doesn't make her a bad cat. She's so young, and she's already lost so much. It's probably hard on her knowing that her mother is dead and her father will be forever crippled."

Pantherpaw let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you don't think she's a bad cat. I keep hearing bad things being said about her, and I don't like it. She's my friend, and I don't like it when cats say bad things about my friends."

Mudwhisker smiled. "You're a good cat, Pantherpaw," he murmured.

The rest of the walk back to camp was silent. By the time they reached the entrance, the sky was completely dark.

"Would you like to share this sparrow with me?" Webpaw called out.

Pantherpaw nodded, glad for her company. Webpaw had been spending so much time with Jaggedpaw lately that they had barely had any time together.

"How are you?" he asked as he took a bite from the bird.

"I'm good. And you?" Webpaw wondered. The tortoiseshell she-cat scooted closer to him as she ate, making their fur brush up against each other.

Pantherpaw purred. "That's good," he meowed. "I'm doing all right, I guess. I'm upset about Viperpaw, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Before Webpaw could reply, Jaggedpaw trotted up. "Mind if I join you?" the ShadowClan apprentice asked.

Webpaw's amber eyes twinkled. "Go right ahead!" she purred.

Pantherpaw scowled at Jaggedpaw, but didn't say anything. Instead he simply tuned out of the conversation, not interested.

"Isn't that great, Pantherpaw?" Webpaw asked, shaking him from his thoughts.

Pantherpaw stared at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear what you said. Could you repeat it?"

"Jaggedpaw is going to have his final assessment sometime this week," Webpaw meowed. Turning back to Jaggedpaw she exclaimed, "I just know you'll be an amazing warrior!" The she-cat's smile faded as she whispered, "Puddlepaw would have been getting her warrior name as well. Oh, I wish she were still alive! I miss her so much... And Graypaw and Rabbitpaw as well. It isn't fair that they were taken from us."

Jaggedpaw gave Webpaw a lick on the forehead. "I'm sure they'll have their warrior ceremony in StarClan," he said. "After all, they deserve it. And Rabbitpaw will become a full medicine cat as well. I bet he's learning herbs from the greatest medicine cats!"

"Yeah," Pantherpaw spoke up. "I'm sure that all the apprentices are in paradise!" His mind wandered to Cedarpaw, who had been killed in the earthquake. _What about you, Cedarpaw? How are you doing? Are you, mother and Jayfeather happy in StarClan?_

Webpaw smiled. "Thank you for cheering me up," she whispered.

"It's nothing," Jaggedpaw replied.

The three apprentices chatted until they were too tired to keep their eyes open.

"It's time for bed," Crowfeather meowed as he walked past.

Pantherpaw nodded and headed towards the apprentices den. Inside, he curled up in his nest and shut his eyes. Within minutes, he was fast asleep. However, his dreams were not as peaceful as he had hoped they would be. Once again, he dreamed he was stuck down in the gorge during the earthquake.

The gray apprentice jumped awake, shaking. To his surprise, it was already sun-high. Pushing his way out into the clearing, he saw the camp was bustling with life as always.

"I want Fernsong, Pinenose, and Jaggedpaw to go hunt towards RiverClan's old camp," Reedwhisker ordered. "And Sandstripe, Lionblaze, and Thrushfeather can head towards the abandoned badger setts."

"Where's Mudwhisker?" Pantherpaw asked the RiverClan tom.

"He went out on the border patrol," Reedwhisker explained.

"Oh," Pantherpaw sighed. "Well, what can I do?" His paws were itching to search for Viperpaw, even though he knew it was useless.

"I want you to help Sunpaw and Lichenpaw patch up the elders den and then search them for ticks. Patchfoot was complaining about a draft last night, and he says he has some ticks behind his ear that he can't reach," Reedwhisker meowed.

Pantherpaw groaned and headed over to the elders den. Sunpaw and Lichenpaw were already working together to patch up the hole in the back of the den.

"Hello!" Sunpaw greeted him.

"I'm so glad you've come to help us. We need an extra set of paws around here," Lichenpaw commented. The tortoiseshell she-cat let out a squeak as the branch she was working with cut her paw pad. "Stupid branch! That's the third time it has cut me today."

As they worked, a feeling of sadness washed over him. It felt as though every cat had a close friend, except for him. Even though Viperpaw had acted as though she didn't care for him, Pantherpaw still considered her to be one of his closest friends. Now she was gone. _I should have stopped her from leaving_ , he thought.

Sighing, he continued to work. Once the three apprentices were done, they headed inside to search Patchfoot and the other cats for ticks.

"I don't have ticks!" Flurrypaw growled as she pulled away from Lichenpaw.

"You might have one that you don't know about," Lichenpaw insisted.

Flurrypaw flattened her ears to her head. "I swear I don't!"

Pantherpaw rolled his eyes. "Just let her check you," he snapped as he searched through Patchfoot's fur. He then spotted a large, plump tick behind the SkyClan elder's ear.

Flurrypaw's eyes widened. "No need to be so rude," she meowed defensively.

Pantherpaw dropped the moss full of mouse-bile on the ground. "I'm being rude? You should look at yourself. You are so rude to every cat around you, Flurrypaw! I'm honestly ashamed to be your brother sometimes, because of how you act." The young tom hesitated for a few moments, before blurting out, "And it's all your fault that Cedarpaw died and Viperpaw ran away! If you had just kept your mouth shut and let Cedarpaw have his crush, none of this would have happened."

"That's enough!" Patchfoot ordered.

Flurrypaw sat there for a few minutes, stunned. Finally the gray-flecked she-cat narrowed her eyes. "Is that really how you feel?" she snarled.

"I said that's enough," the SkyClan elder repeated once more.

Pantherpaw lashed his tail back and forth, before continuing to search the elders for ticks. The entire time, he could feel his sister's gaze burning into his pelt. Part of him felt guilty for what he had just said, but the other half of him was convinced that Flurrypaw had deserved every word of it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his sister get up and walk out of the den. Pantherpaw sighed, and continued on working.

"That was awkward," he heard Sunpaw whisper to Lichenpaw.

"I know," the tortoiseshell apprentice agreed, "but I can't say I'm surprised. Tensions are really high lately. And did you hear that Finchfoot is thinking about taking her kits and leaving?"

"Really?" Sunpaw gasped. "How do you know?"

"Otterbreeze told me that she heard Finchfoot talking to Shyfur about it," Lichenpaw replied.

"I think that's enough gossiping for today," Pantherpaw meowed. "After all, hasn't there been enough drama lately?"

The two she-cats stared at him, before returning to their jobs.

When Pantherpaw was done, he padded out of the elders den and quickly disposed of the dirty moss. From there, he decided to go on a hunt. Even though he was supposed to have Mudwhisker's permission to leave camp, Pantherpaw didn't care.

After walking aimlessly through the tall grass, Pantherpaw decided to climb up onto a boulder. From there, he could see all of the surrounding territories. The once beautiful landscape now looked like a pile of rubbish.

 _What have the Clans come to?_

* * *

 **I meant to have this chapter up a while ago, but I never got around to it. Thank you for all of the sudden reviews and things. I'm really glad you guys are enjoying the story. I will try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Flurrypaw's mind was reeling as she limped out of the den. _How could Pantherpaw say those things to me?_ she thought. _We're supposed to be littermates, yet he keeps treating me like an enemy!_

Sighing, she decided to go on a walk. Her injured paw ached slightly, but she continued on. _I think it's time I talk to Nettlebreeze about returning to my duties. I'm sick of being stuck in that stinking den all day, when I should be out training!_

Her thoughts drifted to Viperpaw, who had left the Clan. _How could she just abandon the group like that?_ Flurrypaw wondered.

After a while, Flurrypaw had to stop and sit down. Glancing down at her sore paw she growled, "Why can't you just heal already?"

"I don't think your paw is going to answer you," a cocky voice meowed.

Glancing up, Flurrypaw saw a large black-and-white tom standing there. At his paws lay the dead body of a rabbit.

"Hey! You're trespassing!" Flurrypaw growled, leaping to her paws. "Now get out of here, before I make you."

The black-and-white tom chuckled. "Oh no! I'm so scared!" he meowed sarcastically.

Flurrypaw narrowed her eyes. "You should be scared," she taunted. "My Clanmates and I are trained killers. If we wanted to, we could slit your throat and leave you for the crows." Flurrypaw began to fluff up her fur in an attempt to seem scary.

The tom began to laugh hysterically. "Yeah right! You couldn't even kill a mouse if it jumped into your paws." Picking up the rabbit, the black-and-white tom stalked off through the grass.

Flurrypaw wanted to chase after him, but she knew she could not take him on alone. He was bigger than Bramblestar, so there was no way it would be a fair fight for her.

Huffing, she turned and headed back towards camp. Once she arrived, she headed in the direction of her father.

"There's a rogue out on the moorland!" she meowed.

Crowfeather sighed. "Again? How many?"

Flurrypaw nodded. "I only saw one, but I imagine there are more of them out there."

Crowfeather was thoughtful for a few moments, before gathering up a couple of cats. Before they headed out of camp he meowed, "You shouldn't be out of camp on your own, especially with your paw the way that it is. Go back to your nest."

Flurrypaw frowned. "I'm old enough to look after myself," she insisted.

Crowfeather stared at her. "Do as I say, please." Without waiting to see his daughter's reaction, he padded out of camp with the patrol on his heels.

Sighing, Flurrypaw headed towards Nettlebreeze's den. Inside, the ginger-and-white she-cat was sorting herbs and muttering to herself.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Flurrypaw asked.

"You just did," Nettlebreeze replied, not taking her eyes off the herbs she was sorting.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," the gray-flecked she-cat insisted.

Nettlebreeze stopped sorting herbs, before turning around. "Make it quick, please. I'm low on comfrey, tansy, and sorrel, so I need to go out searching for more as soon as possible."

"I want to return back to my duties," Flurrypaw meowed.

Nettlebreeze was thoughtful. "I suppose you could," she began, "but I would prefer if you stuck to cleaning up around camp and hunting small prey. Battle training could tear the wound open again, which would be a pain for the both of us."

"I'll tell Dovewing right away!" Flurrypaw purred. "Thank you so much, Nettlebreeze!"

The ShadowClan she-cat smiled briefly, before returning back to her herbs.

As Flurrypaw began to head out of the den, she paused. "Maybe you should take on one of Doespot's kits when they reach six moons? An extra set of paws could take some weight off of your shoulders, especially with leaf-fall coming up in the next few moons or so."

Nettlebreeze continued to sort through her herbs, before muttering, "Maybe."

Flurrypaw smiled, before going to look for Dovewing. Finally she spotted her mentor sharing a quick meal with her daughter, Thrushfeather.

"You eat like a pig," Dovewing scolded her daughter.

Thrushfeather ducked her head, embarrassed. "Sorry," she apologized, before taking another sloppy bite from the mouse they were eating.

"Your father was the same way," Dovewing sighed. The gray she-cat then looked up to see Flurrypaw approaching. "Hello. How are you feeling today?"

Flurrypaw smiled at her mentor. "I'm feeling great!"

"That's nice," Dovewing responded.

"I have good news," the apprentice said. "Nettlebreeze said I can return to some of my apprentice duties!"

Dovewing smiled. "That's wonderful news!" she purred as she stood to her paws.

"I know," Flurrypaw mewed. "It'll be so nice to go hunting again. It feels as though I haven't made a catch in ten seasons!"

"I agree. We haven't been out training in a very long time." Dovewing was quiet for a few seconds before suggesting, "How about we go out for a quick hunt to refreshen your memory?"

Flurrypaw's eyes gleamed. "Really? That would be great!"

Together the two she-cats headed for the camp entrance. Once they were out of camp, Flurrypaw began to scent the air for any signs of prey.

"Tell me everything you smell," Dovewing ordered.

Flurrypaw nodded and drew in another long sniff. "Crowfeather, Otterbreeze, Sandstripe and Birchflower passed through here earlier. And there's a faint scent of rogue in the distance..." her fur began to fluff out as she thought about the rogues.

"What else can you smell?" Dovewing asked.

Flurrypaw was silent as she tried to pick up more scents. "Vole," she finally responded, "and it's over by that gorse bush."

Dovewing gave her apprentice a pleased look, before flicking her tail towards the bush. "Go catch it," she whispered, before backing up to give Flurrypaw enough room.

Flurrypaw dropped down into a hunters crouch, before pulling herself towards the gorse. When she was close enough, she leaped onto the vole and killed it with one swift bite. Warm blood ran down her chin, causing Flurrypaw to purr. "I've forgotten how good it was to catch prey!"

"Good job!" Dovewing praised. Lowering her voice so that only Flurrypaw could hear she whispered, "Let's take it back to camp immediately. I don't want the rogues to scent it and try to take it from us."

Flurrypaw nodded and bounded back to camp. When they arrived, the apprentice placed her catch onto the fresh-kill pile before walking over to the camp entrance.

"Wait!" a voice called out.

Flurrypaw spun around to see Leafstar beckoning her forward. "Yes?" she questioned as she walked up.

"I would like you and Dovewing to join a search party," the SkyClan leader explained.

Flurrypaw's tail drooped. "All right," she grumbled, before following the search party out of camp.

"Don't be so disappointed," her mentor whispered in her ear. "We can always go out tomorrow."

"I know. I just wish I didn't have to waste my time looking for a cat who isn't going to come back," Flurrypaw growled. Why did Viperpaw have to be so selfish? If she had just stayed in camp, Flurrypaw wouldn't have to be out searching for her!

"Wouldn't you want your Clanmates to look for you if you were missing?" Hootclaw asked as they headed towards ShadowClan's old territory.

"Not if I deliberately left," she responded.

"She may not have left on her own. Something could have happened to her," Featherpool argued. Her blue eyes glistened with worry as she added, "What if the rogues kidnapped her?"

"Do you honestly believe that?" Hollystorm grumbled from the back of the group. "It's very obvious that Viperpaw left on her own will. Otherwise, why would she leave camp in the middle of the night?"

Flurrypaw nodded to Hollystorm's comment.

"Let's just focus on finding Viperpaw," Dovewing meowed, flicking her tail tip back and forth.

The rest of the walk to the remains of ShadowClan territory was silent. Flurrypaw wanted to start a conversation up to break the silence, but every time she tried to say something the words got caught in her throat.

The walk through the forest was even more miserable. While most of the trees had been knocked over, there were a few sections where all the pine trees stood in perfect rows, casting huge shadows down onto the forest floor. The sweet smell of pine sap lingered in the air, and soft pine needles squished under their paws.

"This is so creepy," Featherpool whispered, her eyes huge.

Hollystorm's pelt ruffled out. "I don't know how my sister could have ever left ThunderClan for this!"

After a little ways of walking, the group stumbled across a stinking marsh. The green water swirled around, and dragonflies buzzed around. _How disgusting_ , Flurrypaw thought as she wrinkled her nose.

Suddenly, a bunch of loud noises alerted the group. The cats began to look around, trying to pinpoint the direction they were coming from.

"Look!" Hootclaw called out, flicking his tail in the direction of the strange sounds.

Turning her head, Flurrypaw saw a bunch of large, yellow beasts moving through a section of the destroyed forest, scooping up debris in their large paws. She even spotted Twolegs rushing around, barking orders to one another. "What are they doing?" she asked, looking up at Dovewing.

"I think they're clearing away all the debris," Dovewing responded. Glancing back at the other cats she meowed, "We should head back to camp immediately. It isn't safe for us to be so close to those monsters."

Featherpool nodded her head in agreement. "They could come squash us with their huge paws!"

As quickly as they could, the cats scrambled back towards the moors. Every so often, they checked their surroundings to make sure that the big yellow monsters weren't chasing after them.

When they reached camp, Hootclaw headed straight for the nearest leader. "There are monsters in ShadowClan's territory!" he reported.

Reedwhisker's eyes widened. "Monsters? What in the name of StarClan are they doing there?"

"It looked as though they were clearing away all the debris," Hootclaw explained. "They had huge front paws, which would scoop up piles of debris, and then they would carry it away before coming back."

"They're clearing the land," Pinenose meowed as she walked up. The black ShadowClan warrior looked slightly worried. "They'll probably clear the whole forest. You don't think they'll come as far as our camp, do you?"

Reedwhisker shook his head. "They would have no reason to come out to the moorlands if all they're doing is clearing land. However, it would be best if we kept an eye out for them just in case. Twolegs are unpredictable, so who knows what they could be up to."

Flurrypaw's stomach churned nervously at the thought of the Twolegs coming to destroy the camp. Her mother had told her stories about how they had destroyed the old forest, so the young she-cat was concerned they would do it again.

"Where will we go if they destroy our camp?" she whimpered.

"I don't know. Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Reedwhisker responded.

"Perhaps we could go back to the lake?" Lionblaze suggested.

"No way. You couldn't get me to head all the way back to the lake in a million years!" Pinenose growled.

"Why?" Lionblaze questioned.

"For one thing, it's a long and dangerous journey. Second of all, I don't feel like having to start all over again. And lastly, what if another hurricane hits the lake? Would you expect me to trek all the way back here to escape the flooding?" Pinenose stared at him, waiting for a reply.

"She's right," Squirrelflight meowed as she walked up. "We can't go back to the lake. Now let's just stop worrying about this. I'm sure the monsters won't come this far, and if they do we'll be prepared.

Despite the deputies calming words, Flurrypaw couldn't help but be nervous. Sighing, she headed towards the medicine cats den to gather up some moss for her new nest. After that, she padded into the den and began to spread out the moss in the farthest corner. Flurrypaw had wanted to lay her nest down next to her brother's, but she figured it was for the best if she just stayed away.

Once she was done, she plopped down into her nest and gazed around the empty den. _I was right all along,_ she thought. _I'm completely alone. I have no friends or family left._


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Pantherpaw flattened his ears to his head as rain started to fall from the sky. With every step he took, the wet grass clung to his pelt, making him grimace.

"This is disgusting," Otterbreeze complained as she pulled some strands of grass from her pelt.

"I thought RiverClan cats didn't mind getting wet?" Mudwhisker teased.

"Just because I don't mind getting my paws wet doesn't mean I like getting my pelt dirty," the she-cat meowed.

Suddenly a flicker of movement caught the patrol's attention. "Who's there?" Squirrelflight called out, her neck fur bristling.

A few seconds later, the familiar large black-and-white tom stepped out. A few other cats followed after him, their teeth barred in a snarl.

"We meet again," the black-and-white tom sneered.

"You need to leave," Squirrelflight ordered.

"We have every right to be hunting here," a tortoiseshell she-cat spat.

"This is our land!" Mudwhisker growled, his tail flicking back and forth. Glancing over at Pantherpaw he whispered, "Prepare for a fight."

Pantherpaw gulped, and unsheathed his claws. Starring ahead, he tried to read the rogue cats' expressions. To his disappointment, their faces were emotionless.

"Perhaps we should get out of here?" a white she-cat whispered into the tom's ear. "After all, you saw what they did to Flicker the other day."

The black-and-white tom flicked his ear before growling, "I never knew you were such a coward, Blizzard. I guess I should have expected it though, as Boulder was the same way."

"You leave my father out of this!" Blizzard spat, her tail twitching back and forth irritably.

"Lucky's right," the tortoiseshell she-cat put in. "You are soft! After all, you did help out that pathetic black she-cat that came wandering around the Twolegs place."

Squirrelflight's green eyes widened. "A black she-cat? Did you happen to catch her name?"

Blizzard opened her mouth to speak, but before she could Lucky slammed his paw down into the side of her jaw. Blizzard staggered to the ground, shocked and in pain. Slowly, the white she-cat stared up at him and demanded, "Why did you do that?"

"You deserved it," Lucky spat, before turning and leaping onto Squirrelflight.

The ThunderClan deputy collapsed to the ground, unable to take on the large black-and-white tom. Mudwhisker raced to her side, shoving Lucky away.

Within seconds, Lucky's followers sprang into action. Pantherpaw found himself grappling with the tortoiseshell she-cat, who was extremely quick on her paws.

"You fight like a blind kit," she taunted, nipping his tail.

Pantherpaw snarled, and batted her ears. Together they wrestled on the ground, kicking and hissing. Suddenly, the tortoiseshell she-cat's weight vanished, leaving Pantherpaw confused. Looking up, he saw Blizzard had pulled her off.

"I always knew you were a traitor to the group!" the tortoiseshell hissed, raking her claws down Blizzard's flank.

Blizzard let out a yowl, before clamping her teeth down onto the she-cat's shoulder. Pantherpaw scrambled to his paws and raced over to help Blizzard. Together, the two cats fought side by side, until the tortoiseshell she-cat was defeated.

As she took off running into the tall grass, Blizzard let out a victory screech. Her cry of victory did not last long, as Lucky bowled her over.

Pantherpaw tried to help Blizzard, but Lucky was too big and strong for the young tom.

Suddenly, a familiar dark tabby came crashing through the grass, before leaping onto Lucky's back, knocking him away from Blizzard. Lucky hissed, and rolled over onto his back, crushing the tom.

"Bramblestar, watch out!" Squirrelflight shrieked.

Bramblestar kicked up with his back legs, trying to get Lucky off of him. Fast as lightning, the black-and-white tom twisted around, and grabbed Brambestar by the neck.

Squirrelflight let out a scream, and raced to her mate's side. She raked her claws across the rogue's face, as though she were fighting a Dark Forest warrior. Lucky screeched in pain, and jerked back.

As the rogue struggling to clear blood from his eyes, Squirrelflight leaned over Bramblestar, who was completely still.

Pantherpaw's eyes widened, and he quickly raced over to the ThunderClan leader's side. "Is he dead?" he whimpered.

Squirrelflight shrugged. "I-I don't know," she wailed, trying to nudge Bramblestar awake. Turning to the nearest warrior she ordered, "Go find cobwebs, quick!"

Otterbreeze nodded, and raced off.

Before she could return, Lucky strolled up. A confident look was plastered against the rogue's face as he cried out, "He's dead! This has been a victory us!" The black-and-white tom then glanced at Blizzard. "You're a traitor to me. If I ever see your face in the Twolegs place again, I'll slit your throat. Do you understand me?"

Blizzard held his gaze. "You don't scare me," she spat.

Lucky snorted, before racing off into the undergrowth with his followers.

Glancing back at Bramblestar, Pantherpaw's heart beat quickened. _We can't lose Bramblestar now!_ To his relief, Otterbreeze came racing back, a wad of cobwebs in her mouth.

"Here," she panted, dropping them in front of Squirrelflight.

The dark ginger she-cat nodded, before placing the cobweb to her mate's throat wound. It quickly turned red with blood, causing her to growl. "I can't lose you!" she spat. "Not after I lost Leafpool and Jayfeather... Please, Bramblestar. You have to wake up. The Clans need you... _I_ need you."

Finally, Bramblestar sat up. His amber eyes were dull, and he looked confused. "What happened?" he rasped.

Squirrelflight let out a sigh of relief. "Lucky gave you a nasty neck wound. Did you lose a life?"

Bramblestar was quiet for a few moments. "I didn't meet any StarClan cats. It was just darkness..."

Pantherpaw exchanged a worried glance with his mentor. _I guess Nettlebreeze was right. StarClan has turned its back on us._

"Let's get you back to camp," Squirrelflight meowed, before gently helping the leader to his paws. Together, she and Thrushfeather helped Bramblestar home.

Pantherpaw followed after them, slowly. His shoulder was stinging from where the tortoiseshell she-cat had kicked him, and he was missing a clump of fur on his back leg.

"What about her?" Otterbreeze called out, flicking her tail towards Blizzard.

Squirrelflight stopped in her tracks and looked back at the white she-cat. "Come with us," she ordered.

Blizzard awkwardly dipped her head, before following after the cats.

"Thank you for rescuing me," Pantherpaw whispered as he fell into step beside the rogue.

Blizzard flicked her ear. "It was nothing. If I hadn't of helped you, Dapple would have killed you. I couldn't just sit back and watch her kill a young cat."

"Where are you going to go now that Lucky has kicked you out?" he wondered.

"I'll probably skip town or something," she replied. "I'm sure I'll be able to find somewhere to go, though. My father and I used to go from place to place all the time," Blizzard said.

Pantherpaw was quiet for a few moments before asking, "If you don't mind me asking... what happened to your father? Did Lucky kill him?"

Blizzard shook her head. "He died in the earthquake. However, Lucky blamed him for his death saying that my father was too soft to properly survive in the wild."

Pantherpaw frowned. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my mother and two of my brothers in the earthquake."

"It's really unfortunate, isn't it?" Blizzard sighed.

Pantherpaw nodded, and the rest of their walk was silent. When they reached camp, Squirrelflight quickly ushered Bramblestar over to Nettlebreeze's den.

"What happened?" Leafstar demanded, her eyes round.

"Those blasted rogues attacked again!" Mudwhisker growled, ripping a chunk of wet grass out of the ground.

"Is he going to be okay?" the SkyClan leader wondered.

"I think he'll pull through," Mudwhisker responded. He then glanced over at Blizzard, who was hiding behind Pantherpaw. "Come here," he called out.

Blizzard gulped, and slowly padded forward.

"Who is that?" Crowfeather demanded as he walked up.

"She's one of Lucky's followers," Mudwhisker explained.

"I _was_ one of his followers, but he kicked me out, remember? I'm apart of no group now," Blizzard meowed, her neck fur bristling slightly.

"You shouldn't have brought her back to camp. She could end up being a traitor," Crowfeather growled. "Take her to the border and drop her off."

"Blizzard wouldn't do that," Pantherpaw argued, leaping to the white she-cat's defense. "She saved my life during the fight. If it hadn't been for her, another rogue would have killed me."

Crowfeather's eyes widened slightly as he stared at his son. "Is that true?" he wondered, glancing back at Blizzard.

"Yes," she said, not meeting the WindClan tom's gaze.

"She might become of important use to us," Pantherpaw insisted. "After all, she lived with Lucky and his group. She could tell us all of their strengths and weaknesses."

"Would you be willing to do that?" his father asked.

Blizzard nodded. "I'll do anything to get rid of Lucky and his troublesome followers. They're an arrogant bunch of fleabags who have no respect for any other cats but themselves. This place will be a lot better without them, and not just for you all. They're terrorizing any cat that disagrees with them, or choses not to follow them."

"Thank you." Crowfeather dipped his head to her, before glancing over at the medicine cats den. "We'll wait for Bramblestar to recover, before we come up with a battle strategy." Crowfeather then beckoned Sunpaw over with his tail. "Go get our guest something to eat, and then show her where she can make a nest."

Sunpaw nodded, and together she and Blizzard walked off.

Looking back at his father, Pantherpaw could tell that Crowfeather was still slightly wary of Blizzard. "I know she's not a traitor," he said.

Crowfeather frowned. "I still don't trust her completely, and I won't be able to until she proves herself to me."

Pantherpaw sighed, before heading over to his den. Inside, he plopped down. His head was pounding, and his stomach growled with hunger.

"Are you okay?" Webpaw questioned.

Pantherpaw let out a groan. "I'll be fine once I get some rest."

"Are you sure? And do you want something to eat, because I could get you something to eat if you'd like," she responded.

Pantherpaw nodded his head gratefully, and shut his eyes. After a few moments, Webpaw returned and dropped a shrew down in front of him. The gray apprentice quickly gobbled up the prey, before sitting up to wash his pelt.

Once he was done, he saw Webpaw staring at him with an odd expression on her face. "C-can I tell you something?" she whispered. "You've got to promise you won't tell any other cat!"

Pantherpaw stared at her, confused. "You can tell me anything," he replied.

Webpaw took a deep breath before whispering, "I-I'm expecting kits."

Pantherpaw sat there, stunned. His heart then shattered into a million pieces, leaving him feeling as though he had been struck by a monster on the Thunderpath. "What?" he choked out. "How? A-and with who?!"

"They're Jaggedpaw's," she replied, giving her chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks. "Don't tell him yet. I want to surprise him after his warrior ceremony tomorrow."

Pantherpaw frowned, unsure of what to say. Finally he whispered, "But what about your training? You won't be able to finish if you're pregnant."

"I have plenty of time to finish my training before the kits are born," Webpaw mewed. The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat then asked, "You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

He shook his head. "No," Pantherpaw muttered.

Webpaw smiled. "Thank you, Pantherpaw. You've always been a good friend to me."

Pantherpaw did his best to seem optimistic, even though deep down inside he was hurting. _I can't believe this_ , he thought sadly. As he stared at Webpaw, he could see that her belly was slowly starting to grow. "I wish you good luck," he whispered as he quickly looked away.

"Thank you," she purred. Just then, Jaggedpaw padded into the den and the two cats began to chat.

Pantherpaw quickly left the den, too upset to be in their presence.

Lionblaze stopped him. "Hey! Are you okay? You don't look very good.

Pantherpaw fidgeted under his older brother's gaze. "I just ate some bad prey is all," he lied.

Lionblaze gave him a sympathetic look. "How about we go on a walk? We can bring Flurrypaw along as well. The three of us haven't spent any time together since the earthquake."

Pantherpaw nodded. "I guess," he responded.

Lionblaze nodded, and quickly padded off to find Flurrypaw. Finally he returned, and the three cats padded out of camp.

* * *

 **A lot of shocking things happened in this chapter! What do you think will happen to Blizzard? Do you think she will become a premanent part of the Clans? Also, what are your opinions on Webpaw's pregnancy? Do you think she'll be able to keep it a secret until she becomes a warrior? And how many kits do you think she will have, as well as thekr names? Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Do you think Bramblestar will be okay?" Flurrypaw wondered as she followed after her brothers.

Lionblaze sighed. "I hope so," the golden warrior replied. "StarClan knows what would happen if we lost him now."

"What do you think?" she asked, looking over at Pantherpaw.

Pantherpaw didn't respond. Instead he gazed up at the stormy sky, lost in thought.

Flurrypaw flattened her ears to her head. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded as she gently shoved her brother, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Pantherpaw stumbled slightly, before giving her an annoyed look. "Nothing. I'm just tired is all. Now, don't shove me again!"

Flurrypaw glared at him, but didn't say anything else.

The three siblings just walked in silence until they reached the edge of the gorge. Sighing, Lionblaze sat down close to the edge and gazed down at the piles of debris. "Cinderheart... Jayfeather," he whispered under his breath, before squeezing his eyes shut.

To Flurrypaw's surprise, she saw a few tears rolling down the side of her older brother's face. As an act of comfort, she pressed against him. "It's going to be all right," she meowed.

"I know," Lionblaze said. "I just miss them so much."

"We all miss them, mother and Cedarpaw included." Flurrypaw gave him a lick on the cheek. "We should probably head back to camp before it gets dark," she urged.

Lionblaze nodded, and stood to his paws. Together they headed back to camp, worn out and upset.

Pantherpaw trudged behind the group, once again lost in thought. _There's something wrong with him_ , Flurrypaw thought. She slowed her pace until she was walking side by side with her brother. "Tell me what's wrong," she meowed.

"I've just had a long day is all," Pantherpaw said.

Flurrypaw knew that her brother was lying, but she didn't press him any further. _He'll talk when he's ready,_ she decided.

Together, the two apprentices crossed the clearing and headed into their den. Sighing, Flurrypaw laid down in her nest and shut her eyes.

* * *

The camp clearing bustled with excitement as Flurrypaw padded out of the apprentices den. Today was Jaggedpaw's warrior ceremony, and the Clan couldn't have been happier.

After a few minutes of waiting, Nettlebreeze scrambled up onto the Large Boulder and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!" Once every cat had assembled, the ginger-and-white she-cat announced, "Jaggedpaw has passed his final assessment, meaning he is ready to become a warrior. Jaggedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?"

Jaggedpaw dipped his head. "I do," he promised.

"Then by the powers invested in me, I give you your warrior name. From this moment forward, you shall be known as Jaggedclaw. StarClan honors and welcomes you as a full warrior of ShadowClan," Nettlebreeze yowled.

"Jaggedclaw! Jaggedclaw! Jaggedclaw!" the cats yowled.

Jaggedclaw's eyes shined with pride. Suddenly, Webpaw padded up to his side and whispered something in his ear. The new warrior's eyes widened, before he gave her a couple of licks.

"Before we end the ceremony, there is something I would like to do," Crowfeather announced as he climbed up beside Nettlebreeze. "I would like to make Doespot's kits into apprentices."

"They're not six moons yet!" Finchfoot argued, where she stood at the nursery entrance.

"They'll be six moons in the next few weeks," Crowfeather pointed out. "Besides, the Clans need all the help it can get."

Finchfoot hesitated for a few moments, before disappearing inside the nursery. A few seconds later she returned with Hailkit, Cypresskit and Boulderkit. The three kit's had excited looks on their faces as they trotted over to the Large Boulder.

"Hailkit," Crowfeather began as he leaped down from the rock. "From this moment forward, you shall be known as Hailpaw. Nettlebreeze has agreed to mentor you."

"I'm going to be a medicine cat?" Hailpaw squeaked, his eyes shining. He then padded forward to touch noses with Nettlebreeze, who looked pleased.

Crowfeather gave a small smile, before turning back towards the other two kits. "Cypresskit, from this moment forward you shall be known as Cypresspaw. Thrushfeather will be mentoring you."

Cypresspaw nodded, and raced over to Thrushfeather's side. The brown tabby she-cat let out a happy purr, before leaning down to touch noses with her apprentice.

Finally it was Boulderkit's turn. The gray tom stared up at Crowfeather, excited to learn who his mentor would be. "You shall be known as Boulderpaw. Your mentor will be Sandstripe."

Boulderpaw nodded, and went to join the ginger RiverClan tom's side.

"Hailpaw! Cypresspaw! Boulderpaw! Hailpaw! Cypresspaw! Boulderpaw!" the cats yowled.

"You didn't give them a single WindClan mentor!" Finchfoot growled.

"I'm aware," Crowfeather growled.

"Why not? Don't you want them to learn from a cat that can actually teach them how to survive on the moorlands?" the queen snapped

"At this point, we _all_ know how to survive on the moors," Thrushfeather pointed out as she walked to the front of the crowd.

Finchfoot flicked her tail back and forth, clearly upset. She then turned and stalked back towards the nursery.

Crowfeather watched her go, annoyed. Leaping down from his place on the Large Boulder, Crowfeather headed towards the fresh-kill pile. The tom began to distribute prey among the group.

"Do you want to share this robin with me?" Lichenpaw asked as she walked up.

Flurrypaw nodded, her stomach grumbling with hunger. Together the apprentices crossed the clearing and settled down by a small gorse bush. "This is delicious," she commented as she swallowed a bite of the bird.

"I know!" Lichenpaw agreed. "It's a shame that the warm season is going to end soon. To be honest, I'm really scared about what lies ahead. What if there's a greencough outbreak? Or what if there isn't enough prey to go around?"

Flurrypaw draped her tail across the tortoiseshell she-cat's shoulders. "I'm sure the leaders will figure out something. After all, they've dealt with seasons of cold weather."

Lichenpaw didn't look convinced. "I hope so," she muttered.

Flurrypaw sighed, and took another bite from the prey. As she began to think about it, she realized that the up coming leaf-fall and leafbare would be harder than normal. _How will we treat greencough if we ran out of catmint?_ she worried.

The white-and-gray she-cat stood up and quickly ran over to Nettlebreeze's den. Inside, the medicine cat was teaching Hailpaw how to identify certain herbs.

"Can I speak with you?" she asked, her tone slightly panicked.

Nettlebreeze flicked her tail, clearly annoyed. "Make it quick," she said.

"Do you have enough catmint to make it through the cold seasons?" Flurrypaw asked.

Nettlebreeze let out a snort, before looking at her herb store. "Of course," she meowed hotly. "Why do you ask such a question?"

"I-I just wanted to make sure," Flurrypaw replied, before backing out of the den.

Hailpaw blinked up at his mentor. "Maybe we could go gather some more catmint, just in case?" he suggested.

"We'll worry about catmint later. For now, I want you to study the sorrel." Nettlebreeze pointed at a small pile of herbs, which Hailpaw began to sniff at.

Sighing, Flurrypaw padded out of the den. _I have a bad feeling about this_ , she thought.

* * *

 **Sorry for such a short chapter. The next chapter will focus on more important things, and it will be the start of the end. Don't worry, there's still about ten+ chapters left, but the end is coming near. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

A chilly breeze rattled the branches above head as Thunder padded through the forest. The ThunderClan founder paused for a moment to scent the air, but to his disappointment there was no scent of prey.

It had been a few moons since the earthquake, and things were going miserably. There wasn't enough prey to support all of the cats, and tensions were high. It didn't help that Rock had practically disappeared, leaving the cats confused and angry.

Suddenly, the sound of pawsteps alerted Thunder. Looking up he saw that Violet Dawn was approaching him. Her amber eyes were full of concern as she paused in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Thunder asked his mate.

"Follow me," Violet Dawn urged as she padded back in the direction she came.

Thunder's eyes widened as he followed after the pretty she-cat. "What's going on? Is something the matter?"

"We've found Rock," Violet Dawn explained as she leaped over a log. "He needs to speak to you and the other founders right away."

Thunder's heart beat quickened in his chest. "I wonder what he has to say," he wondered. With every pawstep, the ginger tom's stomach churned nervously. _This is either going to go bad or good,_ he realized.

Finally, Violet Dawn paused in front of some wilted undergrowth. "This is where I leave you," she whispered, before giving him a nuzzle. Turning away, she left Thunder alone.

Gulping, Thunder pushed his way through the wilted undergrowth. On the other side, he saw Rock and the other four founders, sitting there.

"What's going on?" he demanded as he took a seat next to Tall Shadow.

Rock did not answer his question. Instead the hairless tom rose from his spot, and began to walk away. "Follow me," he called over his shoulder.

Quickly, the five founders bounded after the hairless tom. Thunder's pelt bristled as he followed after Rock. After a while, he realized that the strange tom was leading him into a strange part of the forest.

"I've never seen this place before in my life," River Ripple whispered, astonished.

"I haven't either," Thunder put in, sniffing at the ground.

The group then paused at a steep mountain side. Vines and other plants clung to the rocks, making it impossible to see where to get a pawhold.

Padding up to the mountainside, Rock quickly began to pull the vines down, revealing a small tunnel opening. Without saying a word, the mysterious tom disappeared inside.

The five leaders exchanged looks with one another, before entering the dark tunnel. Thunder's heart was pounding wildly in his chest as he crawled down the narrow passage. He tried to make sense of where this tunnel was leading him, but it was impossible.

They crawled down the tunnel for what felt like seasons. After a while, Thunder's began to feel cold. His back was also hurting, due to the hunched down position he was in.

Finally, a small speck of light caught his attention. _We're almost out!_ He thought happily. When they reached the end, Thunder bolted out like a rabbit.

Gazing around, he saw that he was in a small, lush, clearing. At the center was a small pool of water, that shimmered in the dazzling sunlight. Midnight was seated at the edge of the pool, staring down at it as if she were in a trance.

"What is this place?" Wind Runner demanded, her eyes round.

"Pool of Tranquility," Midnight rumbled. "Shows all things, it does."

Slowly, Thunder padded towards the edge of the pool. Looking down, he saw a small group of cats, milling around WindClan's camp. "There are survivors!" he cried out, looking back at the other leaders.

"Who?" Clear Sky called out.

Thunder was thoughtful for a moment as he tried to identify the cats below. "Bramblestar... Leafstar... Lionblaze... Reedwhisker... Nettlebreeze," Thunder continued to list all of the cats he could see.

A purr rumbled from his father's throat. "This is wonderful news!" he exclaimed.

"How do they look?" Tall Shadow asked.

"They seem to be all right from what I can tell," Thunder responded. Glancing at Midnight he asked, "Why have you kept this a secret from us? Don't you realize how much this would have helped us after the earthquake?"

This time it was Rock who answered. "There are certain things that are best kept a secret. This is one of those things."

"But why?" Tall Shadow demanded. "This would have comforted so many cats!"

Rock flicked his tail. "Perhaps it would, but for how long? The end of the Clans draws near, and I don't think any cat wants to see the kind of torment their remaining friends and family will have to endure. It's best if their fate remains a mystery," he growled.

A growl rose in Thunder's throat. "I would rather know what's going on in my own Clan, than be left in the dark," he spat.

Wind Runner nodded her head in agreement. "As the founder of WindClan, I have a right to know what's going on in my Clan. And every warrior that has ever served WindClan deserves the same right."

"Also, why is StarClan's territory falling apart?" Clear Sky demanded. "Or are you going to keep that a secret from us too?"

"Only temporary," Midnight said. "Once every cat claimed, things back to normal."

Thunder stared at the badger, shocked. "So you mean that until every cat has _died_ , our territory is going to remain a wasteland?"

Midnight nodded. "Seems pointless now, but in end it good."

"I fail to see anything good about that," Clear Sky growled under his breath.

"Perhaps not, but we know what we are doing," Rock replied. "After all, nothing lasts forever. The Clans will have to end sooner or later, and I'm afraid the end is now. There is nothing that any of you can do to stop it, and there's nothing your living Clanmates can do either."

Thunder felt his hackles raising. _How can he be so sadistic?_ he wondered.

"This is outrageous," Wind Runner spat, before turning away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving!" The wiry brown she-cat headed back into the tunnel, with River Ripple at her heals.

Clear Sky and Tall Shadow followed after them, leaving Thunder alone. For a moment, Thunder wanted to try and persuade Midnight and Rock to change the future, but he knew there was nothing he could do.

* * *

 **This chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but I didn't want to stretch it out any further than I needed to. I feel as though all the information necessary has been disclosed. Upon reading this chapter, how do you feel? And what do you think will happen to the remaining cats that is so bad? As always, thanks for reading!**


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Brown grass crunched underpaw as Pantherpaw made his way across the moorlands. Leaf-fall had finally arrived, meaning the temperature was starting to drop and prey was becoming scarce.

The young tom paused to sniff the air, hoping to catch any sign of prey. Today was one of his last assessments, as he was now eleven moons old. Within the next moon, he would be receiving his warrior name. Pantherpaw's mind wandered to Cedarpaw, who would not be with him at his warrior naming ceremony. Sighing, he suppressed the thought and continued on with his hunt.

Finally, he picked up traces of rabbit. The gray tom scanned the area, before spotting the rabbit near a clump of gorse bushes. Dropping into a hunter's crouch, he pulled himself towards the rabbit. When Pantherpaw was close enough, he raced for the rabbit.

The rabbit darted through the grass, trying to escape the cat. Pantherpaw was quicker though, so he easily leaped onto it and killed it with a quick bite to the neck.

"Great catch!" Mudwhisker called as he padded out of the grass.

Pantherpaw dropped his catch. "Thank you," he meowed, gazing down at his rabbit. It wasn't very large, but it would be enough to feed several cats.

"I think we should head back to camp now," Mudwhisker commented as he looked up at the sky. Dark storm clouds were rolling in from the north, promising rain.

Pantherpaw nodded and picked up his rabbit. As he followed his mentor back to camp, he gazed out at the forest. In the distance, he could hear the rumble of Twoleg machines as they worked to clear away the fallen trees and debris. So far the Twolegs had stayed in the forest, but the cats were still on the look out in case they decided to venture onto the moor.

When they reached camp, Pantherpaw noticed that Robinpaw was crouched outside the apprentices den, sniffling.

"Are you going to sit there all day doing nothing, or are you going to hand me the moss?" Cardinalpaw snapped as he poked his head outside of the den.

Robinpaw gave her brother an annoyed look. "I don't feel good," she explained, before throwing the moss at him.

"You should see the medicine cats," Pantherpaw suggested as he walked past.

Robinpaw shook her head. "I'll be fine," she insisted, before coughing several times.

"I think Pantherpaw is right," Cardinalpaw meowed, placing a paw on his sister's forehead. "You're burning up!"

Robinpaw's eyes widened slightly. "Fine," she rasped, before heading off in the direction of the medicine cats den. Cardinalpaw followed after his sister, his eyes round with worry.

As Pantherpaw watched them, he let out a sigh. _Let Robinpaw recover from whatever sickness she has,_ he prayed, before heading over to the fresh-kill pile.

* * *

The sound of coughing woke Pantherpaw up. Slowly, he sat up and saw that Robinpaw was hunched over in her nest, coughing. It had been a week since he had found her sick outside of the den.

"Come on," Cardinalpaw urged as he tried to nudge his sister to her paws.

Robinpaw pulled away from her brother, before coughing again. After a few minutes of coughing, the she-cat stood to her paws and headed for the entrance of the den. Cardinalpaw and Pantherpaw followed after her, helping her keep her balance.

Once inside the medicine cats den, Robinpaw flopped down on the ground, coughing. Her brother stood over her, his eyes round with fear. The young tom then looked at Pantherpaw and said, "I'm going to get Finchfoot. I'll be right back." Before Pantherpaw could reply, the tom darted out of the den in the direction of the warriors den.

Pantherpaw sighed as he gazed down at Robinpaw. _She's very sick,_ he realized. He then looked over at Nettlebreeze and Hailpaw, who were sorting through their herb store.

Finally, Nettlebreeze rushed over to the apprentice's side and dropped a bundle of herbs at her paws. Nettlebreeze then leaned forward to listen to Robinpaw's breathing. The ginger-and-white medicine cat let out a hiss before muttering, "She's developing whitecough!"

"Whitecough?" Finchfoot echoed as she padded into the den.

"Yes," Nettlebreeze sighed. "I'm going to have to keep her in my den until she gets better. I can't risk this sickness spreading to any other cat."

Finchfoot turned to look at her son. "Go back to your nest," she ordered sharply.

Cardinalpaw flattened his ears to his head. "I want to stay here with-"

" _Now_!" his mother snapped, narrowing her eyes angrily.

Cardinalpaw hesitated for a few moments, before padding out of the den.

"Why did you send him away?" Robinpaw rasped, her eyes watering from the sickness.

"I don't want him to get infected," Finchfoot replied. The dark ginger queen slowly approached her daughter's nest, before sitting down. The den was silent for a few moments, before she whispered, "I think your brother and I are going to go away for a while."

Robinpaw stared at her mother, confused. "What do you mean?"

"We're going to leave," Finchfoot responded, unable to meet her daughter's gaze.

"You can't leave!" Robinpaw cried out. "What about me?"

Finchfoot flattened her ears to her head. "I don't want to leave you behind, but I can't risk your brother getting sick as well. I promise that once you're better, we'll come back and get you."

Robinpaw let out a hiss. "Don't even bother!" she spat. "You obviously don't care about me, otherwise you wouldn't be leaving me behind."

"It's for the best!" her mother insisted, her tail flicking back and forth.

"Stop it!" Nettlebreeze interrupted. Turning to look at Finchfoot she growled, "I think you should go. You're upsetting her."

Finchfoot stared at the medicine cat for a few moments, before turning and padding out of the den. As she left, Robinpaw stared at her in shock. "I can't believe my own mother has abandoned me," she whispered.

"Finchfoot's has never been loyal to the Clan," Nettlebreeze grumbled. She looked down at the apprentice and said, "I think you should try and get some rest."

Robinpaw nodded and shut her eyes. Once he knew that Robinpaw was okay, Pantherpaw turned and padded out of the den. As he crossed the clearing, his eyelids began to droop. As he padded into the den, he saw Flurrypaw was staring at him.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Robinpaw has whitecough, so Finchfoot and Cardinalpaw left the Clan," he explained, flopping down in his nest.

"They're leaving? Why?" Flurrypaw exclaimed.

"Finchfoot is afraid Cardinalpaw will become sick and die," Pantherpaw meowed.

"Oh." The den was silent for a few minutes, before Flurrypaw padded over to her brother's side. She slowly sat down next to him and meowed, "I'm really sorry for how I've been acting."

Pantherpaw rolled over to face her. "I forgive you," he said slowly. He then patted the empty space beside him and meowed, "Why don't you sleep here tonight? We haven't shared a nest since we were kits."

A purr rumbled in his sister's throat as she settled down beside him. "I'm glad I have you," she told him, before shutting her eyes.

Pantherpaw smiled at her, before closing his eyes as well. As he lay there, he could feel her fur brush against his. _We need to stick together,_ he realized, before falling asleep.

* * *

 **I decided to rewrite this chapter, because I didn't like how it turned out before. Also, I'm sorry for not updating lately. One of my cats got run over a few days ago, and I've been kind of down. I'm also really stressed out and have a lot going on. I'll try to post another chapter sometime this weekend, but I don't know for sure.**


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Viper fluffed out her fur as she scurried down the side of the Thunderpath. Several rogues chased after her, trying to steal the scrawny mouse she had managed to catch.

Heart pounding, she quickly darted down a random ally way, before jumping into a box. She ducked down as low as possible, hoping that she wouldn't be detected. Outside, she could hear the rogues as they searched for her.

Suddenly, a dog came racing up, barking. The rogues let out terrified screeches, before racing out of the ally. The dog raced after them, howling with glee.

Once she was sure the rogues and the dog had left, Viper scrambled out of her box and headed in the direction of her home. The black she-cat had been living in the Twolegs place for a few moons now, meaning she was completely adapted to her new surroundings. Shadow had taught her the best places to hide, where to hunt, and so much more.

Once inside her home, she saw Shadow sitting up grooming his pelt. "Welcome back!" he purred.

Viper dropped the mouse at his paws. "I tried my best to bring back more prey, but there wasn't any. I'm lucky I even managed to bring _that_ back. Three rogues chased me down, trying to steal it from me. If it weren't for a dog, I think they would have beat me up for it," she muttered.

Shadow flattened his ears to his head. "It's fine," he meowed quickly. "After all, it's the cold season. It's normal for prey to be scarce."

Viper let out a huff, before curling up in her own nest.

"Aren't you going to eat your catch?" he wondered.

"I caught it for you," she meowed.

Shadow's eyes widened. "I think you deserve it more than I do. Besides, I already ate today."

"Are you sure?" Viper asked.

He nodded. "Go ahead."

Slowly, Viper took a bite from the mouse. The meat was tough and hard to chew, but she didn't care. Once she was done with her prey, she quickly discarded the bones and curled back up in her nest. As she lay there, she watched Shadow groom his pelt.

"I'm glad you're my friend," she whispered.

Shadow looked up. "I'm glad you're my friend, too," he purred.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came through the gap in the wall. Viper began to shiver as it ruffled her pelt.

"It seems as though we'll have to move our nests away from the entrance," Shadow commented as he picked their nests up. Once he had set them down, he patted the ground with his paw. "We'd keep warmer if we curled up together," he meowed shyly, not meeting her gaze.

Viper smiled at her friend, before padding over to the nest. As she settled down, she felt Shadow curl around her. "If you're uncomfortable, just let me know..." he muttered awkwardly.

She shook her head. "It's fine. Back in the Clans, we always slept close together like this."

Shadow was silent for a few minutes before asking, "Do you ever wonder how the Clans are doing?"

Viper flattened her ears to her head. "Yes, I do," she replied honestly. "I especially wonder about my father, but I wouldn't go back for anything."

The dark brown tom gave her a small smile, before yawning. "I think I'm going to take a nap," he mewed as he shut his eyes.

"I'm going to go to sleep too," she said as she rested her head on her forepaws. After a few minutes, she fell into a deep sleep.

As she dreamed, she found herself back at WindClan's camp. Dark clouds hovered in the sky, promising snow. As she gazed around the camp, she saw that every cat was dangerously thin and sickly. Viper's heart sunk as she saw several cats pulling her father's dead body to the center of the clearing.

Suddenly, Viper's eyes opened. Slowly, she sat up in her nest and saw that she was back with Shadow. _It was just a nightmare,_ she reminded herself. No matter how many times she reminded herself of that, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. _Don't worry about it,_ she scolded herself over and over again.

"Is something wrong?" Shadow asked as he sat up.

"I just had a bad dream is all," she replied, unable to meet his gaze.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he wondered.

Viper shook her head. "No, I'll be okay."

Shadow hesitated for a few moments, before curling back up in his nest. Viper stared at him for a little while, before padding over to the entrance of their den. As she gazed out into the dark Twolegs place, she let out a sigh.

* * *

The sky was dark and gloomy as Viper followed Shadow down an ally. It had been a week since her depressing nightmare, and she still wasn't over it.

"Do you mind if we visit Pepper after we've hunted?" Shadow asked as he sniffed at a box.

"I don't mind," Viper replied. Since living with Shadow, she had met his brother several times. At first Pepper had been a bit scatterbrained, but over time she had gotten to know him better.

Suddenly, a loud clank alerted her. Looking up she saw that Shadow had accidentally knocked over a garbage can in pursuit of prey. "Mouse-dung!" he cried out as he lashed his tail back and forth.

"I'm sure we'll find some more prey," she meowed sympathetically.

"I doubt it," he growled. "That was the first and only sniff of prey I've had around here all day."

"I'm sure Pepper will offer you some of his food if we can't catch anything," Viper meowed.

Shadow stared at her. "What about you? I know you wouldn't want to eat house cat food, and I don't want you to starve."

"I'll be fine," she said, flicking her ear. "Now come on, let us see what we can find." The black she-cat turned and began heading towards the main path. As she headed down the sidewalk, she began to scent the air for prey.

Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of fighting and screeching cats. Viper stood still, her heart pounding wildly. She didn't want to get caught in the middle of a fight, but at the same time she knew something was wrong.

"We should get out of here," Shadow commented as he padded up.

Viper stared at him for a couple of seconds. "I can't," she argued. "I need to fight." Before Shadow could say anything more, Viper began racing towards the battle. She raced until her paws took her in the direction of the park, where she saw a group of cats wrestling and screeching on the ground.

She could hear Shadow running after her, but she didn't stop for him. Instead she jumped into the midst of the battle, digging her claws into the nearest cat.

The cat turned to face her, his amber eyes gleaming angrily. Pulling away from her, he quickly gave her a cuff around the ear.

Viper grimaced, but continued to attack the ginger tom. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Shadow had joined the fight as well. As the fight continued on, Viper realized that several of the fighting cats seemed familiar, but she couldn't determine where she had seen them before.

Pulling free from battle, she stared at a tortoiseshell she-cat for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, her heart beat quickened in her chest as she realized it was Otterbreeze. Gazing around at the other cats, Viper realized that other Clan cats were fighting as well. _Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Pinenose, Creekfeather..._

After a few minutes, the fight began to break apart. "They're never going to mess with us again," Lionblaze cheered, giving his ruffled pelt a couple of licks.

"StarClan was definitely on our side," Bramblestar meowed. The ThunderClan leader then turned to face Viper. For a few moments, he looked almost confused. His amber eyes then widened with astonishment as he whispered, "Viperpaw?"

As more and more cats turned to stare at her, Viper gazed down at her paws.

"What are you doing here?" Bramblestar asked as he walked up to her. "We've been searching for you for moons! Where did you go? And are you all right?"

Viper slowly looked up to meet her leader's gaze. "I don't want to talk about this right now," she said stiffly.

A familiar dark gray tom padded up to her side. His blue eyes were gleaming with happiness as he gave her a nuzzle. "Viperpaw... I've missed you so much!"

"Pantherpaw," she breathed, pulling away from him. As Viper looked him over, she realized that he was nearly full grown. The dark gray apprentice had once been skinny with paws that were far too big for him. Now he had a large and muscular build, with a sleek and shiny pelt.

"Please come back with us," Pantherpaw urged.

Viper was silent for a few moments. "I can't." she shook her head. She then looked over at Shadow, who was nodding his head.

Just then, the dark brown tom padded up to her. "I think you should return to your Clan," he meowed, his eyes gleaming.

Viper stared at him for a little while. "I can't," she repeated. "My life is here, with you."

A small purr rumbled in Shadow's throat, before he shook his head. "You were never meant to be a rogue," he stated. "You were always meant to be a Clan cat. That is where your heart truly belongs."

"Would you come with me?" she whispered.

"No," he replied, taking a couple of steps back.

"Then I'm not leaving. You're my best friend, Shadow, and I don't know what I would do without you by my side. Please come with me," she pleaded, her eyes glistening with sadness.

Shadow's eyes were tearing up as he spoke. "You have to go back," he urged. Before she could say anything more, he turned and raced away.

Viper's heart sunk as she stared at him. "Please come back!" she cried out, before running after him. Pantherpaw and Bramblestar stopped her and pulled her back towards the rest of the group.

"You need to come home," Bramblestar ordered her. "At least long enough to see your father. He isn't doing very well."

Viper stared at Bramblestar, shocked. "W-What's wrong with him?" she choked out, the words getting caught in her throat. She then turned back to look in the direction that Shadow had gone.

"He has a painful lump in his belly," Pantherpaw replied, his blue eyes gleaming with sadness. "Nettlebreeze doesn't think he has long to live."

Viper squeezed her eyes shut. _I can't believe this,_ she thought sadly. She stood there for a few moments, before following after the Clan cats.

The entire walk home was silent. Pantherpaw walked alongside her, trying to comfort her. Despite her friend's efforts, nothing would sooth Viper. All she wanted to do was to return back to the Twolegs place and look for Shadow.

The second she walked into camp, she could feel several gazes burning into her pelt.

"Viperpaw is back!" several excited voices whispered.

Just then, Daisy came rushing up to Viper. The queen's eye were sparkling with excitement and happiness as she nuzzled her. "I've been so worried about you!" she cried out, leading her in the direction of the elders den. "Your father has been worried about you as well. Have you heard-"

"I know, he's sick." Viper gazed down at her paws, completely ashamed at herself for abandoning her father.

When she padded into the elders den, she saw that Spiderleg was sitting up in his nest. Tears were welling up in his eyes as he stared at her. Slowly, he stood up and limped over to her, giving her a nuzzle. "Where have you been?" he rasped, the stench of sickness coming off of him in waves.

Viper stared up at her father, her throat tightening. "I'm so sorry I left you," she apologized as she buried her face into his chest.

"You're here now, and that's all that matters," he meowed, before pulling back to cough.

"You should lay back down," Daisy urged as she led him back to his nest.

Spiderleg let out a growl, but did as he was told. As he settled back down, he began to wheeze, causing Viper to grow uncomfortable.

"How long does he have left?" she whispered into Daisy's ear.

Daisy flattened her ears to her head. "Nettlebreeze isn't sure, but he could go any day now."

Viper let out a sniffle, and turned her head away. She desperately wanted to be with her father in his last moments of life, but she couldn't bare to look at him like this. She wanted to remember him full of life, not sick in his nest.

"Why don't you come to see him later?" Daisy suggested as she led Viper out of the den.

Viper nodded and turned to look back at her father. "I promise I'll come visit you later," she called out, waving her tail in goodbye.

Once outside the clearing, she noticed that Bramblestar was holding a Clan meeting.

"So the rogues are gone?" Dovewing called out.

Bramblestar nodded. "We taught them a lesson, and now they're never going to mess with us again."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," a white she-cat meowed. "The rogues will do anything to get their paws on some prey. I would continue to keep an eye out for them, just in case.

"We will, Blizzard," Crowfeather meowed to the white she-cat.

The Clan discussed the rogues for several minutes before Crowfeather announced, "Before we end this Clan meeting, I would like to make two new warriors. Pantherpaw, Flurrypaw, please come forward."

Pantherpaw's blue eyes widened in surprise as he padded forward. Flurrypaw followed after him, just as surprised.

"You two fought like warriors of LionClan in the battle against the rogues, and you've been doing excellent in your training. For those reasons, you two are worthy of your warrior names. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" Crowfeather asked, his eyes gleaming with pride as he stared down at his two kits.

"I do," they meowed in unison.

"Then from this moment forward, you shall be known as Panthershade and Flurrypelt. Congratulations!"

"Panthershade! Flurrypelt! Panthershade! Flurrypelt!" the cats cheered.

"Thank you so much," Panthershade meowed, dipping his head. He then turned to look at Viper. "Viperpaw deserves to have her warrior name as well," he said.

"Absolutely not!" Hollystorm cried out. "Only loyal cats can become warriors, and she isn't loyal in the slightest. Have you forgotten that she ran away from the Clan in our time of need?" the black she-cat snarled, her green eyes narrowed.

Crowfeather's neck fur bristled. "Not every cat who runs away is disloyal," he argued. The WindClan tom turned to look at Bramblestar as he asked, "What do you think?"

"No, it's fine," Viper called out. "I don't need to receive my warrior name. I'm fine just being known as Viper."

"Come on," Panthershade urged. Turning to look at Bramblestar he said, "Viperpaw may have left the Clan, but she is truly loyal. She is a good friend, and she does what she thinks is right. Besides, she is a good hunter and a decent fighter, which we need right now."

Bramblestar was thoughtful for a long time before muttering, "I'm not sure..."

"Please," Panthershade pleaded.

The ThunderClan leader let out a sigh. "Fine," he agreed hesitantly, signaling with his tail for Viper to come forward.

Slowly, she black she-cat padded up to the Large Boulder. Gulping, she looked up at Bramblestar, wondering what kind of name she would receive. _I don't deserve to have my own warrior name_ , she thought.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?" he asked.

"I do," she said immediately.

"Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Viperstrike. We welcome you back as a full warrior of ThunderClan, but don't think this means you have our trust. You will have to work hard to prove yourself to us." Bramblestar smiled slightly, but deep down Viperstrike knew he was disappointed in her.

Viperstrike dipped her head. "I'll do my best," she promised him, before turning to look back at Panthershade. His blue eyes were sparkling with happiness as the Clans cried out Viperstrike's new name.

"We're warriors at last," Flurrypelt breathed.

"I know!" Panthershade purred. "Isn't it great?"

Viperstrike shuffled her paws awkwardly. She felt extremely guilty for becoming a warrior, especially since she had abandoned the Clan.

"Don't feel bad," Panthershade whispered into her ear. "Now come on, let's go make new nests!"

* * *

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you will enjoy it as well. Do you think Viperstrike will stay in the Clans, or do you think she'll try to return back to the Twolegs place? Also, how do you feel about Shadow leaving Viperstrike? Do you think he had good intentions at heart, and do you think we will see him again?**

 **Also, to those of you that read Monster: I am putting that story on hiatus until I finish Extinction. I want to make sure I can put all of my attention into it and give it the care it needs, and I can't do that with Extinction being my main focus. Don't worry, though. I plan on finishing Extinction within the next couple of weeks, so it won't be long before Monster gets updated again.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Viperstrike fluffed out her fur against the cold as she sat in the middle of the clearing, holding vigil. Despite Panthershade's words, Viperstrike couldn't help but feel guilty for receiving her warrior name. _Hollystorm is right,_ she thought. _I don't deserve to be a warrior after everything I've done. I don't even deserve to be back in camp with everyone else._

Glancing over at Panthershade, she tried to read his expression. To her disappointment, he had a blank look on his face.

Sighing, Viperstrike turned her attention back at the camp entrance. She desperately wanted her vigil to be over, but time seemed to crawl by.

Finally, she saw faint pink sunlight in the distance. Her heart pounded excitedly in her chest as she watched the sun rise higher and higher into the sky.

"Your vigil is over," Reedwhisker told them as he walked past.

Flurrypelt let out a sigh of relief. "Thank StarClan! My paws are frozen solid," she complained before padding over in the direction of the warriors den.

Viperstrike and Panthershade followed after her, both yawning.

"I can't wait to curl up in my new nest," Panthershade commented. The dark gray tom's eyes were drooping from exhaustion, and Viperstrike noticed he was dragging his paws.

"I know. I'm really tired too," she agreed. As she curled up in her nest, her mind wandered to Shadow. As she thought about her friend, her heart ached. _Why did he do this to me?_ She thought, trying to figure out why he would force her back into Clan life.

Truth be told, Viperstrike didn't want to come back. The only reason she had stayed so far was because Spiderleg was dying, and she didn't want to abandon him again. If it hadn't of been for him, she would have fled back to the Twolegs place as soon as she got the chance. Sighing, she rested her head on her forepaws.

"Are you okay?" Panthershade wondered.

She shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I miss Shadow."

Panthershade flattened his ears to his head. "Don't think about him," he said.

"I'm trying, but it's hard." Viperstrike stared into Panthershade's blue eyes as she spoke. "I-I think I love him," she then confessed.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Do you really mean it?" he rasped.

Viperstrike nodded. "I do," she said.

Before Panthershade could say anything more, Sandstripe growled, "Could you please be quiet? We're trying to sleep here!"

Viperstrike glared at him, before settling down in her nest.

* * *

Dark storm clouds hovered in the sky as Viperstrike padded into camp, a scrawny mouse dangling from her jaws. Sighing, she set it down on the pitifully small fresh-kill pile, which was made up of a shrew and a sparrow.

The black she-cat turned and padded over to the farthest corner of camp, where she curled up. It had been a moon since she had returned to the Clans, and things weren't going very well. Since her arrival, greencough had started to spread, infecting several and killing three. The three cats that died had been Robinpaw, and two of Webfur's newborn kits. Patchfoot and Cypresspaw were also dangerously close to death, but there was nothing Nettlebreeze could do to save them. No matter how much catmint the medicine cat used, nothing would ease the sickness.

As she looked across the camp, she saw Squirrelflight head in the direction of the medicine cats den. The dark ginger she-cat was having a violent coughing fit, which worried Viperstrike. _Please don't let Squirrelflight die,_ Viperstrike pleaded as she watched the deputy disappear inside the medicine cats den.

"Have you eaten today?" Panthershade wondered as he walked up to her.

She shook her head. "There isn't enough to go around," she answered.

Panthershade sighed and took a seat next to her. "It's terrible, isn't it?" he whispered.

"Yes," she agreed. "I wish I would have known things would be like this before I returned. It's so depressing."

Panthershade flattened his ears to his head. "I wish there was something I could do to save all the sick cats," he confessed. "I especially wish I had been able to save Robinpaw. You didn't know her very well, but she was a really sweet cat. She didn't deserve to die so young, especially the way she did." His claws dug into the ground as he added, "and Webfur didn't deserve to lose Frogkit and Cloudkit."

"I don't want to talk about death," Viperstrike meowed suddenly.

"I don't blame you," he muttered, fluffing his pelt out against the cold.

The two cats sat there in silence, until Viperstrike stood up. "I'm going to go hunting again," she whispered before heading in the direction of camp.

Panthershade trotted after her, his blue eyes gleaming. "Care if I join you?" he wondered.

She shrugged. "Go ahead," she said as she slipped out of camp. As they made their way across the frozen moorlands, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Viperstrike let out a small hiss as she watched the snow accumulate on the ground. "It's going to be impossible to find prey in conditions like this," she complained, flicking her tail back and forth irritably.

"We have to try and hunt anyways," Panthershade pointed out. "Otherwise the Clan will starve."

"Do you think I don't know that?" she snapped, her neck fur bristling. Digging her claws into the ground Viperstrike shouted, "I can't handle this! Clan life is too hard for me... All the hardships we have to face are driving my insane. I wish I could just run away and be a rogue again."

Panthershade's eyes widened. "Well, you can't leave," he snapped. "I won't let you."

Viperstrike glared at him. "I can do whatever I want," she growled. "And why do you care what I do anyways?"

Panthershade was quiet for a few minutes before hissing, "I don't want you to leave because you mean a lot to me, okay? Is that such a bad thing?"

She flattened her ears to her head. "I mean a lot to you? Why?" Viperstrike stared at him in shock.

Panthershade looked away, clearly embarrassed. "You're a good cat, Viperstrike. I know you don't think so, but I do. Sure, you can have a bit of a temper and your loyalties are all over the place..." he trailed off for a moments before adding, "but deep down inside you have good intentions. You stick up for what you think is right, and I admire you for that. Not to mention, you're a really good hunter."

Viperstrike blinked a couple of times, unsure of what to say. "That... That was very kind of you," she meowed awkwardly.

Panthershade shrugged. "Thanks," he muttered before standing to his paws. "Now let's go see if we can catch anything."

* * *

Viperstrike trudged through the snow with a small rabbit hanging in her jaws. She and Panthershade had spent all afternoon trying to hunt, and this was the only thing they had managed to find. Much like the mouse she had caught earlier, there wasn't very many mouthfuls on the rabbit. _I'll take whatever I can find,_ she thought as she padded into camp.

As she dropped the rabbit onto the fresh-kill pile, she noticed that it had grown slightly since she had left. The longer she stared, she realized that her stomach was starting to ache with hunger. _Other cats need it more than I do,_ she reminded herself as she reluctantly padded away.

As she walked away, Viperstrike decided to go visit her father. Slipping inside the elders den, she saw that he was all alone now that Patchfoot had moved into the medicine cats den. "Have you eaten today?" she asked as she took a seat next to him.

Spiderleg slowly shook his head. "I haven't had much of an appetite," he admitted.

Viperstrike felt her eyes water. "You have to eat anyways," she ordered as she stood back up. "I'll go get you something right now." Before her father could argue, Viperstrike went and grabbed the sparrow off the fresh-kill pile. Dropping it at his paws she said, "I want you to eat the whole thing."

Spiderleg sighed before taking a bite from the bird. "I can't finish it," he rasped as he pushed the bird away.

"You have to!" Viperstrike insisted, pushing the bird back to him. "If you don't, you'll die." The young she-cat's voice shook as she spoke.

"I'm going to die anyways so what's the point," Spiderleg coughed, looking away from his daughter.

Viperstrike lashed her tail back and forth. "I won't let you die! You mean so much to me, and I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I know I abandoned you before, and I'm so sorry for it. Please eat the bird! If not for me, then for Amberclaw. She wouldn't want to see you starve to death like this. She wants you to grow strong and to get better."

Spiderleg gave her a sympathetic look, before taking another bite out of the sparrow. He then took another, and another, before a majority of the bird was gone.

Viperstrike leaned forward and gave her father a lick on the forehead. "Thank you," she breathed into his ear.

A small purr rumbled in her father's throat as he curled back up in his nest. Gazing up at her he whispered, "Thank you for coming back to the Clan. I missed you so much..." The black-and-brown tom started to doze off before he could finish his sentence.

Viperstrike stood there for a few moments, watching him sleep. "I promise I won't run away again. And this time I mean it."

* * *

"Patchfoot is dead!"

Viperstrike slowly sat up in her nest. As she made her way out into the clearing, she saw that Nettlebreeze and Hailpaw were dragging the dead elder out from their den. His black-and-white fur was thin and patchy, and his eyes were open and glazed over.

Leafstar, Creekfeather, Honeysplash, Birchflower and Sunheart all gathered around his body.

"He was a good and loyal warrior," Leafstar murmured as she touched her nose to his pelt.

"I'll never forget what a wonderful father he was," Honeysplash whispered, her eyes tearing up. The SkyClan warrior ran her paw through her father's fur as she stared down at him. "I hope you rest in peace," she murmured, before curling up beside him.

Viperstrike's heart ached for Honeysplash as she realized, she too, would have to go through the same thing. The idea of seeing Spiderleg's dead body made Viperstrike feel sick to her stomach. Sighing, she turned and walked out of camp, hoping to clear her mind.

After walking for a few minutes, the black she-cat curled up under a gorse bush. Clumps of snow fell from the branches, landing on her. Viperstrike simply shook it off, too upset to care. As she gazed out across the moorland, she thought about what Panthershade had told her the previous day.

There was something about the gray warrior's tone of voice that made Viperstrike feel slightly suspicious. _I feel like there's something he's not telling me,_ she thought. _But what?_ As she thought about it, she wondered if Panthershade had feelings for her. _Even if he did, I don't think I could return those feelings._

While Panthershade was a good friend to her, Viperstrike didn't know if she could ever love him more than a friend, especially since she held such strong feelings for Shadow. And even with her love for Shadow, Viperstrike didn't think she would ever settle down and take a mate. She was far too independent for a serious relationship, and with her father on the brink of death and a greencough epidemic going around, romance was the last thing on her mind.

Sighing, the young warrior decided to return home. When she reached camp, she saw that each cat was giving respect to Patchfoot.

"What's going on?" Mistlekit squeaked as she peered out of the nursery.

"I'll explain it to you when you're older," Webfur meowed as she picked her kit up by the scruff. Mistlekit let out a few squeaks of protest before going limp. Once Webfur was back in the nursery, she put her kit down and curled up around her.

 _I hope Mistlekit will survive,_ Viperstrike thought, before looking away.

"Have you given respects to Patchfoot yet?" Panthershade wondered as he walked up.

She shook her head. "I didn't know him very well, so I figured I'd just let those closest to him say their goodbyes."

Panthershade frowned. "I see," he sighed.

"Do you love me?" Viperstrike suddenly asked.

The gray tom's eyes widened. "Huh?" he blurted out, shocked by the question.

"Never mind," she quickly meowed, before padding away.

Panthershade followed after her. "I want to know why you asked that," he said.

Viperstrike flattened her ears to her head. "Just forget I said anything, all right?"

"Please tell me," he begged.

Viperstrike let out a huff before replying, "Fine. I-I was just thinking about what you told me yesterday, and I began to wonder if you secretly had feelings for me or something. It's stupid, I know. Just forget I said anything, okay?"

"I love you as a friend," Panthershade meowed hesitantly. The dark gray tom opened his mouth to say something more, but he quickly shut it. "Besides, you're in love with Shadow so it's not like my feelings matter anyways." Before she could say anything else, Panthershade turned and stalked out of camp.

As Viperstrike watched him go, she felt a pang of sadness in her chest. _You don't have time for this nonsense_ , she reminded herself as she headed towards her nest. _You need to focus on keeping your father alive for as long as possible, and nothing more._

* * *

 **Thank you for all of the reviews last chapter! I am really glad that you guys are enjoying the story. This chapter was a bit depressing with all of the deaths, but sadly that sort of thing must happen in these types of conditions. *wipes tear* Also, in case you were wondering, Sunpaw became a warrior shortly after Viperstrike, Panthershade and Flurrypelt. That is why she was mentioned as Sunheart. Also, here are the descriptions for Webfur's kits:**

 **Frogkit - dark brown tabby tom**

 **Cloudkit - tortoiseshell she-cat**

 **Mistlekit - brown tabby she-cat *only survivor***

 **Frogkit and Cloudkit died about a week after birth, as they were struck with the sickness and they weren't very healthy to begin with. I will tell you now that Mistlekit will be okay. Also to answer Crazy Fennec Fox's question, I plan on Extinction being 35 chapters long, or around that. With that in mind, there should only be seven or so chapters left. I have a lot of free time these next couple of days, so it's possible that I will be able to finish the story in that amount of time. I'm kind of sad that the story is ending, but at the same time I am excited for how it's going to end. I have had the ending planned out for a long time now.**

 **And one last note: Shadow will appear again. I have more plans for him in the future, but I'm afraid he won't show up for a while yet. As always, thanks for reading!**


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

WindClan's camp was ominously silent as Flurrypelt made her way into camp, coming from a failed hunt. Sighing, she gazed over at the empty fresh-kill pile. It had been empty for nearly two days now, which made Flurrypelt's stomach churn nervously.

 _If we don't find something to eat, we'll all starve to death,_ Flurrypelt realized.

Just as she was about to head towards her nest, Reedwhisker leaped up onto the Large Boulder. "Let all cats gather for a Clan meeting!" he yowled, his neck fur bristling slightly.

Sighing, Flurrypelt padded over to the Large Boulder and took a seat next to Lichenfur.

"As you all know, prey is extremely scarce. If something isn't done about this, I'm afraid we could all starve to death," the black tom began. "For that reason, I have decided that from this point on, no cat is allowed to return back to camp until they can successfully provide prey for the Clan." Reedwhisker's eyes were shining with determination as he spoke.

Crowfeather let out a hiss as he climbed up the Large Boulder. "You can't do that!" the WindClan tom argued, his tail flicking back and forth.

Reedwhisker blinked at him. "Why not?" he asked.

"You can't make up your own rules. We all have to agree on them," Crowfeather retorted.

"But this will help us!" Reedwhisker insisted. "It will motivate cats to search for prey harder, as they'll know they can't return to their nests if they don't bring something back."

"It will sentence us to death!" Jaggedclaw cried out, leaping to his paws. "If we aren't able to return to the safety of the camp every night, we'll all freeze to death. Either that, or we'll be picked off a fox or a badger." Jaggedclaw's gaze rested on the apprentices that were clustered outside of their den. "They wouldn't stand a chance out in the cold all by themselves," he meowed.

Daisy nodded in agreement. "This is a foolish rule, and you know it."

Reedwhisker flattened his ears to his head. "You all have valid concerns, but I'm afraid this has to be done. Otherwise-"

"No, Reedwhisker," Bramblestar called out as he climbed to the top of the Large Boulder. "This cannot be done. I understand you have good intentions at heart, but this would just put the life of every cat at risk."

Reedwhisker glared at Bramblestar. "You don't get to decide what's good for the Clans," he snarled. "You haven't done a single thing to help this Clan survive. You've been moping around in the medicine cats den for the past week!"

"That's not true!" Lionblaze growled. "Bramblestar has done a lot to help us out, and you know it." The golden warrior's fur was bristling as he spoke.

Bramblestar stared at Reedwhisker. "Squirrelflight is sick," he pointed out, trying to remain calm.

"We'll all be sick if something isn't done!" the black tom said. Gazing out at the cats below he said, "Can't you all see that I'm trying to help?"

Leafstar gave him a sympathetic look as she climbed up the Large Boulder. "We know you're trying to help, but your plan won't do anything to benefit the group. The three of us need to come up with a plan together, that way we can figure out the best way to go about this."

"Fine." Reedwhisker let out a defeated sigh, before padding to the edge of the Large Boulder. As he made his way past Crowfeather, the RiverClan tom accidentally bumped against him, causing Crowfeather to be shoved back.

"Watch it!" the dark gray tom snarled, before shoving Reedwhisker's shoulder.

Reedwhisker, who was standing at the very edge of the Large Boulder, lost his footing and slipped off. He tried to twist himself around so he could land on his paws, but there was no time. Instead, the RiverClan tom landed head first before flopping over onto his side. As he landed, a loud cracking sound echoed around the camp clearing, chilling Flurrypelt to the bone.

Nettlebreeze and Hailpaw quickly rushed up to Reedwhisker, their eyes wide with shock. As Nettlebreeze examined him, Flurrypelt watched with bated breath. _Please let him be okay!_

"He's dead," Nettlebreeze gulped as she looked up. "He landed on his neck and broke it."

Flurrypelt stared up at her father, who looked absolutely shocked. "It was an accident, I swear!" Crowfeather croaked.

Bramblestar slowly backed away from Crowfeather, his amber eyes round with shock. "You pushed him..." he breathed.

"It was an accident," Crowfeather repeated. "I would never purposely kill another cat, and you know that!"

Flurrypelt stood there, too shocked to move. While she knew her father hadn't done it on purpose, she still felt as though he was responsible. Glancing over at Panthershade, she tried to read her brother's expression. The dark gray tom stood there, absolutely horrified.

Squeezing through the crowd, Flurrypelt paused beside her brother. "W-what should we do?" she whispered into his ear.

Panthershade stood there for a few seconds, not responding. Finally he replied, "I... I have no clue."

"Crowfeather is going to kill us all!" Birchflower screeched. "Exile him!"

Crowfeather looked completely panicked. "No!" he cried out. The WindClan tom looked back to Bramblestar and pleaded, "Please... don't exile me."

Bramblestar stared at Crowfeather for a few moments and meowed, "I'm not going to exile you. However, I think it would be best if you stepped down as WindClan's leader."

Leafstar nodded her head in agreement. "Bramblestar's right. I don't think you should represent WindClan after what has happened."

Crowfeather shook his head. "You can't do that," he argued.

"I think it's for the best," Leafstar meowed as she went to rest her tail across Crowfeather's shoulders. "At least for right now."

He jerked away from her, giving her a cold stare. "This isn't fair," he growled, his neck fur bristling again.

"And Reedwhisker's death wasn't fair either, you heartless killer!" Sandstripe yowled from the crowd. Otterbreeze and Shyfur let out yowls of agreement.

Crowfeather stared at the RiverClan warriors for a few moments before letting out a sigh. Turning back to Bramblestar and Leafstar he said, "All right. I'll step down," he said hesitantly.

Flurrypelt's heart twisted as she stared at his father. She desperately wanted to defend him, but she knew her voice would not be heard. _He doesn't deserve to lose his position_ , she thought bitterly as she stared at the other leaders. _He's the only cat WindClan has with experience._

"We will announce the new WindClan leader later tonight," Bramblestar called out, leaping down from the Large Boulder. Leafstar followed him, and together the two of them padded out of camp.

As Flurrypelt watched them go, she couldn't help but feel furious. _Shouldn't Nettlebreeze be responsible for picking the new leader?_ She wondered.

"Bramblestar and Leafstar are taking all of the power for themselves," Hootclaw whispered as Flurrypelt walked past.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Featherpool responded. "After all, ThunderClan thinks they own the forest. I bet you that before long, Bramblestar will try and make himself leader of all five Clans!"

Flurrypelt sighed and headed towards her father. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as she nuzzled him. "You don't deserve this."

Crowfeather let out an angry sigh. "Well, there's nothing I can do about it," he growled, his neck fur bristling.

"I know you didn't mean to kill Reedwhisker," Flurrypelt went on. "It was just an accident, and sometimes those things happen."

Crowfeather gave her a small smile. "Thank you for your support," he whispered. His gaze flickered to Reedwhisker's body, which had now been moved to the center of the clearing. All of the RiverClan cats gathered around it, mourning. "I don't think I'll ever be able to live with myself," he muttered. "Reedwhisker was such a good cat; he didn't deserve this."

"Don't think about it," Flurrypelt meowed, leading her father towards the camp entrance. "How about we hunt for a while to get our minds off of it?" she suggested.

Crowfeather pulled away. "I won't be able to hunt knowing what I've done." Once again he looked back at Reedwhisker. The dark gray tom's eyes filled with sadness, before he lowered his head in grief. Turning away from his daughter, Crowfeather padded towards the warriors den, his tail dragging on the ground.

As Flurrypelt watched him go, her heart ached. _This is truly a disaster,_ she thought sadly. Glancing up at the sky she thought, _How can you allow this to happen? My family is falling apart at the seams!_

* * *

"It is time to bury Reedwhisker," Bramblestar announced.

The Clans began to form two lines on either side of Reedwhisker. As Sandstripe, Otterbreeze and Shyfur carried his body towards the burial site, each cat dipped their heads in respect.

As the cats passed Crowfeather, Flurrypelt noticed that Sandstripe was glaring. His expression quickly faded as he continued on. When the RiverClan cats reached the grave they had dug for their leader, they slowly slid his body down into the hole and said a quick prayer. Then the three of them began to scoop the earth back over the hole.

"If you'll excuse us, we would like to have a private vigil outside of camp," Sandstripe said, looking up at Bramblestar.

The dark brown tabby nodded his head. "Of course," he said, before jumping down from the Large Boulder.

As Sandstripe and Otterbreeze padded out of camp, Shyfur went and gathered her sons. From there, she trotted after her Clanmates. At first, Flurrypelt thought nothing of it. _They just want to have a private ceremony for him,_ she thought. As she headed towards her nest, she saw Jaggedclaw, Pinenose and Lichenfur slip out of camp, causing the white-and-gray she-cat to grow suspicious.

 _What are they up to?_ Flurrypelt wondered. She quickly looked around camp to make sure that no cat was following her, before following them out of camp. Dropping low to the ground, she stalked after the cats as they made their way towards the Twolegs place. _Are they running away?_

The eight cats continued to head straight into the Twolegs place, which worried Flurrypelt. Part of her wanted to follow, but she was afraid of getting lost... or even worse: being found. Gulping, she decided to continue on. Flurrypelt followed them all the way to a dark ally, where a large group of rogue cats were gathered.

Upon seeing Sandstripe and the others, the rogues jumped to their paws, hissing and spitting.

"Get out of here!" a tortoiseshell she-cat snarled, unsheathing her claws. As she stalked towards Sandstripe, Lucky stopped her.

"Tell me why you're here," the large black-and-white tom said, cautiously walking up to the group. "And make it quick."

"We need your help holding a rebellion," Sandstripe began. "Bramblestar, Leafstar and Crowfeather are ruining the Clans. Just today, Crowfeather murdered our leader in cold blood. Instead of consulting our medicine cat, Nettlebreeze, about appointing a new leader, they just decided one on their own. They're taking over the Clans, and I can't stand for it any longer. I need your help to drive them away."

Lucky flattened his ears to his head. "Why should we help you after everything you've done to us?" he challenged.

"I know we attacked you in the past, but we were forced by Bramblestar. If you help us successfully drive him and the rest of his followers away, your rogues will be allowed back onto the moorlands," Sandstripe explained.

Flurrypelt's eyes widened. How could Sandstripe do such a thing? _More importantly, how could all of these cats be on his side? Bramblestar hasn't done anything wrong!_ She thought angrily. _He's just doing his best to keep us all together under the circumstances we're in._

Slowly, she began to back out of the ally. Just as she was about to turn and run the other way, she backed into a large metal object. It went tumbling to the ground, causing a bunch of noise.

Every cat turned to look at her. Sandstripe's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "She followed us here!" he cried out, before stalking towards her.

Gulping, Flurrypelt turned and tried to escape. Just as she was about to each the end of the ally, Lucky's rogues pounced on her, throwing her to the ground. "You can't do this!" she screeched, struggling to free herself. No matter how much she fought, the rogues were stronger than her.

Sandstripe leaned down and meowed, "Why did you follow us here?"

"I could tell something suspicious was going on," Flurrypelt croaked, still struggling to escape. Glaring up at the tom she spat, "You're not going to get away with this!"

"This has to be done," Sandstripe insisted, his eyes blazing with fury. "Otherwise, RiverClan and ShadowClan will be long forgotten. Ever since the earthquake, ThunderClan and WindClan have been getting all the special treatment. It isn't fair, and I'm not going to put up with it any longer. We're going to teach Bramblestar a lesson, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Looking at the rogues he then ordered, "Kill her."

Flurrypelt's blue eyes widened in horror. "No!" she pleaded, looking up at the rogues. "Please don't kill me. _Please_!"

The rogues hesitated for a few moments, before looking over at Lucky. The black-and-white tom nodded his head, showing they had his permission to carry out the duty. Before Flurrypelt could process what was going on, she felt a stinging pain in her neck. Scarlet blood began to well from her wound, and she felt as though she couldn't breath.

StarClan help me!" she begged as she thrashed around under the weight of the two rogues. As she continued to struggle, she felt her body grow weaker and weaker, before everything went black.

* * *

 **I think this is one of my favorite chapters, so I hope you all will enjoy it too. Also, some of the characters like Reedwhisker or Crowfeather may seem out of character, but this is intentional. Animals are often more aggressive when starving, and not to mention there is a bad sickness going around which makes the whole situation even more stressful. Also, Sandstripe may seem like a villain, but he really isn't a bad cat at heart. All throughout the story, RiverClan and ShadowClan have gotten the short end of the stick compared to ThunderClan and WindClan (and SkyClan, who is practically allied with ThunderClan). The cats who are holding the rebellion are just trying to make sure that their Clans aren't forgotten or walked all over by Bramblestar and the others.**

 **I will try to update as soon as possible. Thank you for reading!**


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Dark clouds hovered in the sky as Shadow made his way back to the abandoned Twoleg shed. For the first time in days, his belly was full and he was happy.

Suddenly, the stench of blood caught his attention. Cautiously, he padded in the direction of Lucky's rogue camp. As he peered down the ally way, he saw it was completely deserted except for a small gray-flecked she-cat. As he approached the she-cat, he saw that she had a nasty gash on her neck.

Shadow's green eyes widened in horror as he stared at her. _She's still alive!_ He realized as he saw the faint rise and fall of her chest. The dark brown tabby began to panic as he looked around for something to wrap her wound with. As he rummaged around in the garbage, he could hear the she-cat begin to cough.

"Help..." she whispered feebly. "I'm dying..."

Shadow flattened his ears to his head. "I'll help you," he said, continuing to dig through the garbage. Finally he found a strange, soft object just big enough to wrap around her wound. As he placed it over her neck, it began to turn red with blood.

"Are you strong enough to climb onto my back?" he asked her.

The she-cat simply stared up at him with a blank expression. Slowly, she tried to stand to her paws, but she couldn't muster up enough energy.

Sighing, Shadow carefully scooped her up onto his back the best he could. Due to her weight, he struggled for a moment but slowly padded down the ally and back towards his home. As he walked, he could feel her blood running down his side, causing him to grimace. "Don't worry, you're safe with me," he called out as he heard her whimper.

"The Clans..." the she-cat whimpered. "I have to get back to the Clans..."

"Don't talk," Shadow shushed. "Otherwise you'll waste all of your energy." To his relief, she quieted down.

Finally, Shadow reached his home. Carefully, he lowered her to the ground and dragged her through the small entrance. From there, he laid her down in his nest. At first he was going to lay her down in Viper's old nest, but he couldn't bare to cover up her scent. It was all he had left of Viper, and he didn't want to get rid of it.

As he worked to cover the she-cat's wound up, he asked, "Who did this to you?"

"Lucky's rogues..." she responded weakly, "but Sandstripe... Sandstripe t-told them too." Her blue eyes were filled with pain as she spoke, which made Shadow's heart ache.

"Sandstripe? That's a Clan cat, right?" Shadow asked.

She nodded a bit. "He's going to hold a rebellion against Bramblestar... He wants to drive him out of the Clans, along with his followers. The rogues are going to help."

Shadow's heart began to pound wildly. _Bramblestar is Viper's leader!_ He realized with a jolt. _What if she gets hurt?_ Leaping to his paws he exclaimed, "I have to go help!"

The she-cat blinked up at him. "Please don't leave me here alone... I don't want to die all by myself."

Shadow gave her a sympathetic look. "You're not going to die," he promised her.

She let out a couple of gasps, as through she were struggling to breath. Very weakly she argued, "I know I'm going to die. I can feel it... I'm growing weaker and weaker every second." Her voice was merely a whisper as she continued on. "But I don't mind, because at least I died trying to..." She paused for a few moments so that she could catch a breath. "...Protect my Clan. Tell... P-Panther...Panthershade I love him and I'm sorry," she trailed off, before laying her head on the ground. She then took once last breath, before going still.

Shadow felt his eyes tear up as he stared at her. "No..." he sobbed, lowering his head. After a few minutes of mourning for this unknown she-cat, he stood up. "I promise I'll save your Clan," he told her, before heading outside.

* * *

The wind whipped Shadow in the face as he raced across the moorland. His heart was pounding like a trapped bird, and his stomach churned nervously. In the distance, he could hear the screams and cries of cats as they fought. _Please let Viper be all right!_

Bursting through the wall that surrounded the camp, Shadow gazed around at all the fighting cats. Since he had no clue who was the good side and who was the bad side, he scanned the area for Viper. Finally he spotted her, cornered by a large golden tom. Growing, Shadow leaped onto the tom's back, dragging him away from Viper.

As they fought, Viper stared at Shadow, clearly surprised. "Shadow?" she exclaimed, shocked and confused.

Shadow nodded. "I'll explain everything later!" he promised, before aiming a blow to the golden tom's muzzle. Viper quickly joined in the fight, and together they worked to drive the golden tom away. After a few seconds, the rogue realized he could not win and went fleeing through the camp wall.

"I can't believe you're here!" Viper purred, nuzzling Shadow. "How did you know a fight was going on?"

"Someone told me," Shadow said as he scanned the clearing for any signs of cats that needed help.

"Who?" she wondered, but before Shadow could say anything a loud cry for help sounded near a large boulder in the center of the clearing. "That's Hollystorm!" Viper said, racing for her Clanmate.

Shadow followed after her. As he neared, he saw a black she-cat pinned to the ground by Lucky.

Snarling, Viper clawed at his shoulder. Lucky quickly turned and swatted her away like a fly, throwing Viper to the ground. In that split second, Hollystorm wriggled free from the black-and-white tom's grip and together she and Viper began attacking Lucky. Shadow joined the fight too, aiming for his back legs.

Lucky hissed, but did not give up the fight. Instead, the large rogue fought with the strength of a badger, hissing and bucking under the weight of all three cats. Finally, he realized that this was not a fight he would win, and he turned and escaped.

As the three cats stood there, panting, Hollystorm turned to Viper. "You saved my life," she breathed, before dipping her head. "Thank you."

Viper just stared at Hollystorm for a few seconds. "Shadow helped," she insisted, gazing at the tom.

Hollystorm was silent for a few moments before meowing, "I'm really sorry I've been so mean to you lately. I was too quick to judge you, and I shouldn't have. I hope you'll accept my apology, Viperstrike."

 _Viperstrike?_ Shadow thought curiously. _Did she become a warrior since her return?_

Viperstrike dipped her head. "I accept your apology," she meowed.

Hollystorm smiled, before slipping back into the midst of battle. Viperstrike and Shadow did the same, each working together to fight off the traitors. As the fight progressed, Shadow could feel his body aching from fatigue. He was almost worried he would have to give up and retreat, but he didn't want to leave Viperstrike alone. This was too dangerous of a battle, and he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if something had happened to her.

"Retreat!" Lucky yowled, before fleeing through the camp entrance. Several cats chased after him, leaving trails of blood behind.

Shadow stood there for a few seconds, panting. His mind was whirling, and he didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to take Viperstrike and run back to the Twolegs place, but he knew he couldn't do that. As he gazed around at the destroyed camp, he saw several still bodies on the ground.

"How dare you show your face around here!" a dark brown tabby snarled as he stalked towards a pale ginger tom.

"I... I..." the tom tried to speak, but he couldn't find the words to do so. Finally he choked out, "I was just trying to get justice for my Clan."

"Leave!" the dark brown tom ordered, flicking his tail towards the entrance. "And if I catch you anywhere near our camp, I will personally kill you. Is that understood?"

"No!" a tortoiseshell she-cat tried, running to the tom's side. "Please, Bramblestar. Give him a second chance." Her eyes were round with worry as she spoke.

Bramblestar narrowed his eyes at her. "Why should I listen to you?" he questioned. His gaze then flickered over to a group of cats, who were huddled over in the far corner of camp. "You all have betrayed my trust. Not to mention, you have broken the warrior code by teaming up with the rogues. You're lucky I don't banish you all!"

The tortoiseshell she-cat let out a sigh. "Come on, Sandstripe," she murmured to the tom, nudging him to his paws. Sandstripe hesitated for a few moments, before limping out of camp with the she-cat at his side.

Once they were gone, Bramblestar directed his attention at the other cats. "Why did you betray us like this?" He stared at one she-cat in particular. "I'm especially disappointed in you, Pinenose. I expected better of you."

Pinenose lowered her head. "I didn't know Sandstripe was planning this," she meowed. "It wasn't until we reached the Twolegs place that I realized what he was up to, and at that point it was too late."

"Yeah," a pretty gray she-cat spoke up. "He told us we were going to mourn for Reedwhisker." He gaze flickered down at her sons as she added, "I understand if you want to punish me, but please don't take your anger out on my sons. They didn't know any better."

Next a brown tabby tom stepped up. "I knew," he confessed, lowering his head in shame. "I didn't know the rebellion would end up like this, though. I just thought I would be doing what's best for Webfur and Mistlekit." The tom looked over at a tortoiseshell she-cat and a small kit, who were sitting outside of the nursery. "They're my entire world, and I just wanted to protect them."

Bramblestar was silent for a few moments. "I won't exile you, but none of you are allowed outside of camp for the next three moons. You will be confined to the apprentices den, and you will be treated as such. It will be your duty, and your duty alone to carry out the chores in camp."

The cats each dipped their heads, before slowly making their way towards a small den. As they walked, they each had their head bowed in shame.

Bramblestar then turned to face Shadow. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he demanded harshly.

"This is Shadow, an old friend of mine," Viperstrike spoke up. "He fought on our side during the battle."

Shadow dipped his head to the ThunderClan leader. "Greetings," he said. Slowly he looked up to meet the tom's gaze. His amber eyes were burning with fury as he stared at Shadow, and his entire pelt was fluffed up.

"Thank you for your support," Bramblestar said coldly. "I wish there was some way I could thank you, but I'm afraid we do not have anything to offer you."

"I don't want anything," Shadow promised.

Bramblestar dipped his head to Shadow, before padding away to check on the injured cats.

Suddenly, a dark gray tom padded up to Viperstrike. "Have you seen Flurrypelt? I can't find her anywhere," he said, his voice full of concern.

Viperstrike's yellow eyes widened in surprise. "Maybe she's in the medicine cats den getting her wounds checked?" she suggested.

The dark gray tom shook his head. "I already checked. Oh, Viperstrike... I'm so worried. What if she's hurt?" He dug his claws into the ground as he spoke.

"We'll find her, Panthershade," Viperstrike assured him.

Shadow's eyes widened. _Panthershade?_ His stomach began to churn nervously as he thought about the dead she-cat back at his home. _Could that be Flurrypelt?_ He wondered. Gulping, he asked, "What did she look like?"

"She's mostly white with small gray flecks on her back legs and tail," Panthershade meowed. "Oh, and she has blue eyes."

The dark brown tabby tom felt his heart twist with grief. "I'm afraid I have some bad news," he confessed, unable to meet Panthershade's gaze.

Viperstrike and Panthershade stared at him for a few moments, confused. "W-What do you mean?" Panthershade rasped, his eyes tearing up.

"Flurrypelt is dead," Shadow whispered slowly. "I found her at the rogue's camp with a gash in her neck. I tried to save her, but it was too late. She told me to tell you she loved you, and that she was sorry." He flattened his ears to his head, guilt coming off of him in waves.

"No..." Panthershade gasped. "She can't be dead! You have to be mistaken!" His body began to shake, and he then collapsed on the ground, sobbing.

Viperstrike pressed up against Panthershade, trying to comfort him. "It's going to be okay," she whispered, giving him a lick on top of the head.

Panthershade shook his head. "It will never be okay," he argued.

The three cats sat in silence, unsure of what to say. Finally Shadow said, "I can take you to her body if you'd like."

Panthershade looked up at him and sniffled. "That would be nice," he rasped. "But first, I need to find Crowfeather and Lionblaze. They deserve to see Flurrypelt one last time." The dark gray tom stood up and wandered away, leaving Shadow and Viperstrike alone.

"I can't believe this," Viperstrike whispered, her eyes dull.

"I'm so sorry I left you," Shadow meowed suddenly. He stared down at his paws, embarrassed. "I thought it was the right thing to do, but clearly I was mistaken. It's far too dangerous for you here." Looking up, he studied her for a few moments. Her bones were jutting out from under her patchy and thin fur, and she looked almost sickly.

"I understand," Viperstrike meowed. "I'm just glad you're here with me again. I really missed you." Leaning forward, she nuzzled him.

"I missed you too," Shadow said, smiling slightly. Looking up, he saw that Panthershade was heading towards them. Behind him were two toms, one a dark gray tom and the other a large golden tabby.

"Is it true?" the golden tabby demanded.

"Yes," Shadow responded.

"Take us to her," the dark gray tom pleaded, his eyes filled with sorrow.

Shadow dipped his head, and together they padded out of camp. The entire walk was silent, as there wasn't anything to be said. Not to mention, every cat was worn out and bleeding from the fight.

By the time they reached Shadow's home, the moon was high in the sky. Large snowflakes were falling from the sky, dotting their pelts. "She's in here," Shadow explained as he crawled through the hole in the wall.

The other four cats followed him, their expressions gaunt. "Oh, Flurrypelt..." Panthershade cried out. He slowly limped forward to take a seat next to his dead sister.

The dark gray tom and the golden tom followed after him, each taking a seat around Flurrypelt's dead body. "You were such a wonderful daughter," the dark gray tom murmured, licking her ear.

"That's Crowfeather," Viperstrike whispered into Shadow's ear. "And the golden tom is named Lionblaze. He's Flurrypelt's older brother."

Shadow nodded. As he watched the three tom's mourn, his heart twisted with grief. Two of his brothers had died in the earthquake, so he knew how painful it was to lose a sibling. "I wish there was something I could do to comfort them," he whispered.

Viperstrike pressed against his side. "You've done enough all ready," she reassured him.

"Are you going to return back to your Clan?" Shadow asked.

The black she-cat was silent for a few moments. "I have to, for Spiderleg. My father is very ill, and I just couldn't leave him alone to die. He needs me, Shadow." Her yellow eyes were full of pain as she spoke.

"I understand," Shadow meowed. "He's your father, and you deserve to be with him during his last moments."

Viperstrike smiled at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

"We're ready to bury her," Crowfeather croaked as he stood to his paws.

Shadow dipped his head to the tom. "I'll show you where you can bury her," he told them. Once they had picked up her body, Shadow led them outside. Pausing by a large oak tree that lay a few badger lengths away. "Will this do?" he asked.

Panthershade nodded. "This will be perfect. Flurrypelt always loved to climb trees." Limping forward, he began to dig a hole under the tree. Crowfeather, Lionblaze, Viperstrike and Shadow joined in, scooping earth from the hole.

When they made a grave deep enough for Flurrypelt, they slowly slid her body into the hole. As Viperstrike leaned forward to scoop earth over it, Panthershade stopped her. "I want to look at her once last time," he gulped.

Viperstrike dipped her head, and took a step back.

After a few minutes, Panthershade began to cover the hole up. The other cats joined in, pushing the dirt back into the hole until the grave was completely covered.

"May StarClan light your path," Lionblaze called out, dipping his head. Looking up he meowed, "We should head back now. It's almost morning."

Crowfeather nodded wearily. "I suppose we should."

"I think I'm going to stay here for the night," Viperstrike mewed. "Tell Bramblestar I'll be back sometime in the morning.

Panthershade stared at her. "You promise you'll come back?" he pleaded.

Viperstrike nodded. "I promise."

* * *

 **I never planned on Flurrypelt dying, but I think this was a good way to send her off. Even though she wasn't able to warn Bramblestar about the rebellion, she died trying to protect her Clan. Also in case anyone was wondering, Viperstrike is called Viper throughout the first half of the chapter as Shadow doesn't realize she has her warrior name. I imagine everyone knew this, but I thought I would mention it anyways.**

 **To answer Silver Shadows in the Night: No, Viperstrike will not die. She will survive throughout the entire story. As for a sequel, I have considered it but I am doubtful. The way I plan on ending the story would be a wrap up of the entire Warriors series, so I'm not sure if there would be any need to continue on. However, I have thought about writing a one-shot about what happens after the end of the story.**

 **As always, thanks for reading. :)**


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Panthershade's mind was whirling as he made his way back to camp. _I can't believe Flurrypelt is dead,_ he thought sadly.

When he reached camp, his first instinct was to go curl up in his nest. As he padded over to the warriors den, Webfur stopped him. "Where have you been?" she wondered, her eyes round with worry.

"Flurrypelt is dead," he replied coldly, pushing past her.

Webfur stared at him in surprise. "What? How?" Her amber eyes began to well up with tears.

Panthershade turned around to face her. "Lucky's rogues killed her at the command of Sandstripe."

The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat just stood there, shocked. "I can't believe she's gone. Oh, Panthershade... I'm so sorry for your loss." As Webfur leaned forward to nuzzle him, Panthershade pulled away.

"It's all right," he said quietly, before padding into the warriors den. As he curled up in his cold nest, he heard the entrance rustle. "What do you want?" he accidentally snapped.

"I just came to see if you were hungry," Blizzard meowed, before setting a small mouse down in front of him.

Panthershade's stomach began to growl as he stared down at the mouse. Leaning down, he took a bite from the prey. Despite being tough and stringy, it was the best piece of prey he had tasted in days. "Thanks," he purred, licking his lips.

Blizzard smiled, before taking a seat next to him. "I heard about your sister," she began slowly, "and I'm really sorry. I'm sure she's in a better place."

The dark gray tom nodded slowly. "She is," he meowed.

The den was silent for a few minutes, before Blizzard rose to her paws. "I have to go, but I'll see you around later." She lingered for a few seconds, before padding out of the den.

Now alone, Panthershade began to think about his sister. _I wish we had gotten along better,_ he thought sadly. Sighing, he pushed the thoughts away and fell asleep.

* * *

Violent winds whipped across the moorland, throwing snow up into the air. Grimacing, Panthershade struggled to find his footing. Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground by the strong wind.

"We need to go back!" Thrushfeather yowled as, she too, was knocked down.

Hootclaw hesitated for a few moments, before flicking his tail in the direction of camp. "Let's head back to camp," he ordered.

Panthershade let out a sigh of relief, before slowly heading in the direction of camp. As he walked, the wind began to pick up, throwing more snow at the cats.

By the time the patrol reached the camp, they were shaking from the cold. Due to the blizzard, every cat was tucked away in the safety of their dens. As Panthershade pushed his way into the warriors den, he gave his pelt a quick shake.

"Hey!" Creekfeather protested, narrowing his eyes at Panthershade.

"Sorry," the young tom apologized, before settling down in his nest.

"There's a really bad blizzard outside," Thrushfeather meowed, padding into the den. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"Just what we need," Lionblaze muttered sourly. The golden tom's neck fur began to bristle as he spoke, "Now we're all going to die from starvation or sickness."

Thrushfeather gave him a worried look. "Perhaps not," she said, trying to be optimistic.

Lionblaze stared at her. "Four cats have already died this week alone, and there are many others who are sick or starving. Not all of us are going to survive through this leaf-bare, and you know it."

 _Lionblaze is right,_ Panthershade thought sadly. In the past week alone, Cypresspaw had died from greencough. Birchflower and Sealpaw had both died from starvation, and Flurrypelt had been murdered. Several other cats were on the brink of death, and would probably die before the next full moon. His stomach began to churn nervously as he thought about all the cats that would end up dying. _Will I die?_ He wondered.

Pushing the thought away, he looked over at Viperstrike. The black she-cat was sitting up in her nest, her yellow eyes narrowed. _Will Viperstrike leave again?_ Panthershade wondered.

Suddenly, he felt Blizzard press against him. "You're freezing!" she exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Well, there is a blizzard going on outside..." he trailed off as Blizzard curled up next to him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm warming you up," she meowed. "Otherwise you'll catch hypothermia and die." Her green eyes twinkled slightly as she stared at him.

Panthershade looked down, slightly embarrassed. "We can't have that, can we?" he laughed.

"Absolutely not!" Blizzard purred, pressing closer to him. Suddenly she asked, "What's your favorite season?"

Panthershade was thoughtful for a few seconds. "I think new-leaf is nice. It's not too hot, and it's not too cold. Not to mention, there are all kinds of pretty flowers out during new-leaf."

Blizzard smiled. "New-leaf is nice. Personally, I like the cold season the best. Due to my white pelt, I can easily blend in with the snow to catch prey. Of course, I don't like _these_ types of conditions..."

As the two continued to chat, Panthershade felt his heart swell. For the first time in moons, he didn't feel so alone. _Blizzard is absolutely brilliant,_ he thought, purring slightly. Over the past few hours, she had told him several stories about her adventures with her father as well as with the rogue group.

"...we ran as fast as we could, the foxes right behind us!" Blizzard exclaimed as she recalled the time she and her father had stumbled across a fox den.

"What did you do?" he gasped, eyes wide.

"I ran, of course. Finally, I reached the forest and I was able to climb up into a tree. However, the foxes didn't want to give up the hunt. They camped under my tree all night, before growing bored and leaving. I was so scared that they would never leave me alone!" Blizzard let out a sigh of relief as she finished up her story.

The dark gray tom was quiet for a few moments before asking, "H-How did your father die? I understand if you don't want to talk about it..."

Blizzard flattened her ears to her head. "Lucky killed him," she sighed. "He said that Boulder wasn't a valuable member of the group, so he finished him off right in front of me. I tried to help him, but Dapple and Flicker held me back."

Panthershade's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry," he meowed.

Blizzard shook her head. "Don't worry. I-It was a long time ago." Suddenly, she pulled away from Panthershade. "I'll be right back," she muttered, before padding out of the den.

* * *

"Viperstrike, you need to wake up!" Daisy's panicked meow woke Panthershade up.

Sitting up, he saw that Daisy was standing over Viperstrike's nest, prodding her gently. Finally, the black warrior sat up, yawning. "What's going on?" she asked, blinking up at Daisy.

"Spiderleg is dying," Daisy replied, her eyes round with sadness.

Viperstrike jumped to her paws, before squeezing her way past Daisy. As Panthershade watched her go, his heart began to pound wildly. "Spiderleg is dying?" he gasped.

Daisy nodded slowly. "I'm afraid so." When Panthershade stood up to follow after Viperstrike, Daisy stopped him. "I know you want to comfort her, but she needs to say goodbye in peace."

Panthershade hesitated for a few moments, before sitting back down in his nest. As he sat there, his mind whirled and his heart thumped wildly in his chest. He wanted to go comfort Viperstrike, but he knew he couldn't.

Suddenly, Viperstrike let out a loud blood-chilling scream. Pushing past Daisy, Panthershade raced to the elders den. "What's going on?" he demanded. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spiderleg's body, causing his stomach to churn.

"My father is dead," Viperstrike told him slowly. "Now I'm all alone... What am I going to do?"

* * *

 **This chapter was a bit short, but it held some important information in it. In the next chapter, we will see Spiderleg's death through Viperstrike's eyes as well as what she does about it. And since it hasn't been mentioned yet, Heathertail is WindClan's new "leader". As always, thanks for reading!**


	33. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"Viperstrike, you need to wake up," Daisy ordered as she gently prodded Viperstrike awake.

Yawning, the young she-cat sat up in her nest. "What's going on?" she asked, blinking at Daisy.

"Spiderleg is dying," Daisy replied, her eyes round with sadness.

Viperstrike jumped to her paws, before squeezing her way past Daisy. Once she was out into the clearing, she made her way towards the elders den, her heart pounding wildly. _He can't die!_ She thought sadly.

The stench of sickness overcame Viperstrike as she squeezed into the elders den. At the far back, she saw her father sprawled out in his nest. Every so often, his body would twitch violently. As she stared at her father, her heart ached and she could feel her breath getting caught in her throat.

 _I don't want my last memory of him to be like this_ , she thought miserably. Gulping, Viperstrike managed to meow, "Hey, I'm here now." Slowly, she took a seat beside him and looked down at him. His face looked extremely aged and sick, which broke her heart.

Spiderleg slowly glanced up at his daughter. "Viperstrike..." he breathed.

Viperstrike looked away. "I can't bear to see you like this," she choked out, squeezing her eyes shut so that tears wouldn't be able to fall.

"I know it's hard..." Spiderleg winced as a pain shot through him, "but everything will be all right."

"How?" she demanded, her neck fur bristling. "How will everything be all right when you're going to _die_?" Tears were now rolling down her face as she spoke. "I'm going to be all alone now..."

Spiderleg's eyes began to water. "You'll never be alone. I will always be watching over you to make sure you're okay. Always remember that, okay?"

"It won't be the same," she whimpered. Glancing down at her paws she begged, "Please don't die."

"I don't want to go, but it's my time," her father responded, his voice shaking. After a few moments of silence he meowed, "I love you so much, and I always have."

"I love you more," Viperstrike told him, curling up beside him. As she lay there, she could feel her father purring. Suddenly, it stopped. Looking up, she saw that her father's eyes were glazed over and that he had stopped breathing. "Father?" she rasped, prodding him with a paw. When he didn't respond, she let out a blood-chilling screech.

"What's going on?" Panthershade demanded as he darted into the den.

"My father is dead," Viperstrike told him slowly. "Now I'm all alone... What am I going to do?"

She felt Panthershade press up against her. "Go find Shadow," he whispered into her ear. "It's where you truly belong."

Viperstrike stared at him, shocked. "You wouldn't mind?" she whispered.

Panthershade shook his head. "I'll be sad without you, but I want you to be happy and safe," he meowed slowly.

A small purr rumbled in Viperstrike's throat, before she glanced back at her father's dead body. "We need to bury him," she meowed, gently grabbing him by the scruff. Together, they worked to drag his body out into the center of the clearing. By now, several cats had gathered out in the clearing, as they had heard the news.

As several cats gathered around to mourn for Spiderleg, Viperstrike began to search for Bramblestar. Finally she spotted him emerging from the medicine cats den, his eyes filled with grief.

"Can I talk to you about something?" she wondered, eyeing him nervously.

Bramblestar let out a sigh. "Sure," he said, padding over to the far corner of camp.

"After Spiderleg's burial, I'm going to leave again," Viperstrike blurted out. She quickly looked away, unable to meet Bramblestar's gaze.

The dark brown tabby was silent for a few moments. Finally he demanded, "Why?" His gaze was stern as he stared at her, which caused Viperstrike to grow even more uncomfortable.

Taking a deep breath she replied, "Now that my father is dead, I have nothing left in ThunderClan, or any Clan for that matter. For that reason, I'm going to return back to my old life as a rogue with Shadow." Slowly, she looked up to read his expression.

"I'm very disappointed in you," Bramblestar sighed, flicking his ear. "But I suppose there is nothing I can do to stop you, so I wish you good luck. However, I want you to know you won't be welcomed back here ever again. I've given you several chances to prove yourself as a loyal member of the Clan, and you've thrown them all away."

Viperstrike's neck fur bristled slightly. "Don't worry, I'm never coming back," she growled, before stalking away.

* * *

Fatigue clawed at Viperstrike's body as she pushed soil out of Spiderleg's gave. "I think it's deep enough," she muttered as she looked up at Daisy and Panthershade.

"I think so too," Daisy sighed as she climbed out of the hole.

Together, the three cats worked together to gently lower Spiderleg down into the ground. Stepping back, they gazed down at him. "May StarClan light your path," Viperstrike whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"May StarClan light your path," Daisy and Panthershade echoed, before pushing the soil back onto his grave. As they worked, Viperstrike's heart twisted with grief. _You were the best father I could have ever asked for. I'm so sorry that everyone judged you,_ she thought as she finished covering the hole.

Glancing at Panthershade she whispered, "I'm ready."

Daisy blinked at her, confused. "Ready for what?"

"I'm leaving again," Viperstrike choked out. Her yellow eyes glistened with tears, but she quickly pushed them away. _You need to remain strong,_ she reminded herself over and over again.

Daisy flattened her ears to her head. "You're... _what_?" she exclaimed, before shaking her head. "No... Y-You can't leave!"

"I really sorry, but I have to. I-I just can't live here anymore." She quickly looked away from Daisy so that she wouldn't have to see the tears in her eyes. "I'm really sorry..." she repeated once more.

The cream-colored she-cat was silent for a few moments. "I understand," she breathed, before nuzzling Viperstrike. "I wish you the best, wherever you may go."

A loud purr rumbled in Viperstrike's throat as she nuzzled Daisy back. "I'll never forget you, or anything you've done to help me. You've been like a second mother to me, and I wish I could repay you somehow."

"You don't have to repay me," Daisy insisted, her eyes watering. Looking at Panthershade she meowed, "You two can go now."

Viperstrike lingered for a few seconds, before following Panthershade in the direction of the Twolegs place. The two cats walked in silence, unsure of what to say. Suddenly, Panthershade stopped and turned to face her. "Do you remember when you asked me if I loved you?"

Viperstrike flattened her ears to her head. "Why are you bringing this up?" she demanded, slightly irritated.

"Well... I do love you, and I probably always will. You mean so much to me, Viperstrike." Panthershade awkwardly shuffled his paws in the snow.

"You're not trying to stop me, are you?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

The dark gray tom shook his head. "No, of course not. I just want you to know how much you mean to me. You are my best friend, and you always will be no matter how far apart we are. Besides, they say if you truly love something you should let it go." Panthershade smiled at her.

Viperstrike returned the smile. "Thank you, for everything." Leaning forward, she buried her face into his chest. "I promise I'll come back to visit you whenever I can," she told him.

Panthershade purred slightly. "That would be nice," he whispered into her ear, before pulling back. Flicking his tail at the Twolegs place up ahead he murmured, "Now, go find Shadow! I'm sure he's waiting for you."

She nodded. "Don't worry, I will." She stared at him for a few seconds, before racing off in the direction of the Twolegs place. As she ran, her heart thumped wildly in her chest. When she reached the edge of the Twolegs place, she glanced back at Panthershade. He was merely a fleck against the white snow. "Goodbye," she breathed, her chest aching.

Panthershade stood there for a few seconds, before turning and padding out of sight. Once he was gone, Viperstrike continued to make her way through the Twolegs place in search of Shadow. Finally, she came across the site that the abandoned Twoleg shed had once lay. Now it was nothing more than a pile of rubble.

"Shadow?!" she exclaimed, rushing up to the remains of the Twoleg shed. Tears were now rolling down her face. _Please be alive!_

"Viperstrike?" Shadow's familiar voice sounded. Spinning around, Viperstrike saw he was standing there with a mouse in his jaws.

"You've alive!" she exclaimed, rushing up to him. After giving him a quick nuzzle she pulled back and asked, "What happened to your den?"

"Twolegs destroyed it," he explained. Shadow then asked, "What are you doing here? Has... Has Spiderleg died?"

Viperstrike nodded slowly. "He died early this morning." More tears welled in her eyes as she remembered her dead father, but she quickly wiped them away.

Shadow gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry," he breathed, nuzzling her. Looking into her eyes he meowed, "I'm glad you're here with me now. I was actually going to stop by in the morning to get you. I'm thinking about skipping town and heading up the river."

Her yellow eyes widened. "Really?"

The dark brown tom nodded. "Yeah."

Viperstrike was quiet for a few moments. _If we head up river, I'll never see my old friends again_... She hesitated for a little while, before nodding. "I would love to come with you," she told Shadow.

His green eyes gleamed with happiness. "Great!" he exclaimed, before giving her another nuzzle. Shadow then padded over to the oak tree that Flurrypelt had been buried under. As he curled up among the roots he patted the ground next to him. "Come join me!" he called out.

Viperstrike nodded and eagerly padded over to join him. Curling up at the crook of his stomach, she let out happy purrs. "Do you think it would be all right if we came back to visit from time to time?" she asked.

"Of course," Shadow promised her. "We can come back whenever you'd like." He then pushed his mouse over to her. "Want to share?"

She nodded, before taking a bite out of the prey. Quietly, the two cats shared the mouse until there wasn't anything left of it. With her belly now full, Viperstrike quickly dozed off.

* * *

Pink sunlight was beginning to come up over the horizon as Viperstrike followed Shadow across the outskirts of the moorland. As they walked, she couldn't help but feel extremely nervous. She was throwing everything she had once knew away, all for the chance of starting anew.

"Don't be nervous," Shadow called to her as he reached RiverClan's old territory.

"I can't help it," she confessed. "After all, we're traveling into the unknown!"

"I'll protect you," Shadow teased, his eyes gleaming.

Viperstrike narrowed her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," she reminded him.

"I never said you couldn't," he laughed. "I just said I would protect you, and I will. I hope you know that, Viperstrike." Shadow smiled at her, before leaping over a fallen log.

They walked up the river for hours, stopping to hunt here and there. Finally, the two cats stumbled across a large holly tree. The branches were spread out just enough, allowing for a small den close to the middle of the tree. "This would make a perfect den!" Shadow exclaimed, sniffing at the tree to make sure no other animals had claimed it already. "What do you think?"

"It's great," she agreed as she looked over the den. "I think we should stay here, at least for now."

Shadow nodded his head in approval. "Great. I'll go see if I can find some moss, while you clear out all the dead holly leaves." As he turned and raced away, Viperstrike worked to clear all the prickly leaves out from the center of the tree. As she worked, her mind wandered to Panthershade and the other cats she had left behind. _I'm probably never going to see those cats again,_ she realized with a jolt. _Most of them will probably die over the course of this next leaf-bare._

Just as she was finishing up, Shadow came racing back to her with a wad of moss in her jaws. "It's a little wet, but we can hang it out to dry," he said, as he gently laid it down across a small rock nearby.

As they padded into their new den, Viperstrike turned to face Shadow. "I'm so glad I have you," she whispered, pressing her face into his pelt.

"I'm glad I have you too," he whispered, curling up around her.

* * *

 **There are only two chapters left *wipes tears*. In a way though, I am kind of relieved the story is coming to a close. This story was a bit of a trail and error for me, so I have mixed emotions about it. Despite everything, I do love the characters a lot. I'm actually surprised at how much I care for them. Also, when Panthershade said he loves Viperstrike he means in a family way, not necessarily romantic. However, if things had been different and Viperstrike had stayed, it's very possible they would have become mates down the road. Of course, if the Clans still exist down the road. Things are very bleak and dismal, and I'm afraid you will not be too pleased with me come the next chapter.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

 _Five Moons Later..._

Panthershade pushed his way through the undergrowth, a starling hanging from his jaws. It had been more than five moons since Viperstrike had left, and he missed her desperately. Since she had left, more than half of the cats had died. The very few survivors had decided to move to a small cluster of trees close to the gorge, as it was far too cold out on the open moorland.

Panthershade let out a sigh as he remembered every cat that had been lost, from either sickness or starvation. Squirrelflight had been the first to die after Viperstrike left. Despite all of Nettlebreeze's efforts, the ThunderClan deputy had been a lost cause, dying in her sleep.

Webfur had been the second cat to die. The young queen had starved to death while trying to make sure her daughter had enough to eat. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only cat to starve to death. Hollystorm, Lionblaze, Daisy, Leafstar, Rowanpaw, and Creekfeather had also starved over the next couple of moons. Despite the Clans efforts, there simply wasn't enough food to go around.

Lastly, Lichenpelt, Fernsong, Crowfeather and even Nettlebreeze herself had been claimed by a last bought of greencough. It had been a terrible shock to lose their only medicine cat, and it only caused more chaos. Shyfur and Shrewpaw had even abandoned the Clan, afraid for their lives. Bramblestar had tried to stop them, but they refused to stay.

 _I need to stop thinking about this,_ Panthershade scolded himself. Picking his starling back up, he padded in the direction of the new camp. Despite all of the terrible events that had occurred, things weren't completely hopeless.

Shortly after moving camps, Bramblestar had made Redpaw, Branchpaw, Boulderpaw and Dapplepaw warriors. The four were now called Redstorm, Branchtail, Boulderstripe and Dapplecloud. Even though the three had grown up during difficult times, they had remained optimistic and ready to serve their Clan. Redstorm was even the father of Thrushfeather's new kits, which would be arriving within the next moon. There was even a rumor going around that Sunheart would be expecting Hailstep's kits before long. The two had grown so close, it wasn't hard to see why such a rumor was circulating.

Things were even shaping up for Panthershade himself. Pretty soon, Mistlekit would reach six moons, meaning she would be becoming an apprentice. Heathertail, who had taken over as WindClan's new leader, had promised him he could mentor the young kit. The idea of training Webfur's daughter made his heart swell with pride. _I promise I'll be the best mentor the Clans have ever seen!_ He vowed silently. And lastly, Panthershade had Blizzard by his side. Despite everything that had happened, Blizzard had stayed in the Clans, doing everything she could to help out. _I'm glad to call her my friend,_ Panthershade thought happily.

After dropping his starling onto the fresh-kill pile, Panthershade looked out across the clearing. For the first time in moons, the cats looked healthy and happy. Several cats were even sharing tongues with one another, which had become a rare sight during the time of the cold season.

 _Things can only get better from here,_ he thought, purring slightly. Suddenly, he felt a cat walk up on him from behind. Turning around, he saw that Blizzard was standing there. The white she-cat had a mischievous grin on her face, which caused Panthershade to grow suspicious.

"I see you've caught a starling," Blizzard purred, her green eyes gleaming. When he nodded she added, "starling is my favorite. Do you think I could have it?"

The gray tom nodded. "Help yourself." Panthershade nudged it over to her.

"Wanna share?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure!" Panthershade smiled at her, before following her over to a small clump of ferns that grew near the nursery. As he took a bite of his catch, he felt a pang of sadness in his chest. "I wish all of this prey had been around during the cold season. Then all of those cats wouldn't have died..."

Blizzard gave him a sympathetic look. "I know it's hard, but try not to think about it."

He let out a sigh. "I try not to, but..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

The two cats were silent for a while, before Blizzard coughed awkwardly. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Go ahead," he replied, taking another bite out of the starling.

Blizzard let out a deep sigh before starting. "Well... I've been thinking about something for a while now." The white she-cat paused for a few moments, shuffling her paws on the ground. "I think I like you." Slowly, she turned to face him, waiting for his response.

Panthershade sat there for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond. "I like you too," he meowed confidently, smiling.

Blizzard began to purr. "I was so worried you wouldn't feel the same way." She then lowered her voice as she added, "Do you mind if we keep this our little secret? At least for right now? I want to make sure things will work out between us before we announce it to every cat."

He nodded. "That's fine with me." As Panthershade stared at Blizzard, he began to purr. Even if things didn't work out with her, Panthershade was glad to at least try.

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!"

Panthershade pushed his way out of the warriors den, before taking a seat next to Boulderstripe. As he stared up at Bramblestar, he noticed how elderly the ThunderClan leader looked. At one point in his life, the dark tabby looked strong and muscular. Now he appeared frail and depressed, most likely due to the loss of all his loved ones. _I don't think he'll be around for much longer,_ Panthershade realized with a jolt.

"I have several announcements that I would like to make," Bramblestar began. "First of all, I would like to announce that Pinenose will be my successor. Second of all, I would like to make Mistlekit an apprentice."

Heathertail and Jaggedclaw nudged Mistlekit forward. As the young kit bounded up to Bramblestar's side, Panthershade could see that her eyes were gleaming with excitement.

"From this moment on, you shall be known as Mistlepaw. Panthershade shall be your new mentor." Turning to face him, Bramblestar added, "I hope you will pass on everything Elmclaw and Mudwhisker have taught you."

Panthershade dipped his head to Bramblestar. "I promise I'll do my best." Leaning down, he touched noses to his new apprentice. As Mistlepaw stared at him, his heart ached with sadness. _Webfur should be here,_ he thought gloomily.

"Mistlepaw! Mistlepaw! Mistlepaw!" the cats cheered.

Mistlepaw ducked her head, embarrassed. "I've never been the center of attention before," she admitted shyly. After the commotion died down, the dark brown she-cat squeaked, "Do you think you could take me out to explore the territory? Please?"

Panthershade let out a small chuckle. "Of course," he responded, padding over to the camp entrance. Right as he was about to walk out into the small forest, Jaggedclaw stopped him.

The brown tom had a nervous expression on his face as he meowed, "Keep an eye on her, Panthershade. I trust you."

Panthershade dipped his head to the ShadowClan tom. "I'd give up my life protecting Mistlepaw," he promised, before padding out into the forest.

To his surprise, the young apprentice stayed right by his side. Despite her excitement, she was doing her best to remain calm and collected. "The forest is so beautiful," she chirped, eyeing a clump of bracken.

"Believe it or not, I actually prefer the moorland," he said, sniffing the air. "Can you tell me what you smell?"

Mistlepaw nodded, before scenting the air. Turning back towards him she reported, "I think I smell Honeysplash and Branchtail."

The gray tom nodded his head in approval. "Good job!" he praised, before continuing on his way. The two cats continued to explore the territory, before making their way home.

As they padded into camp, the sun was beginning to set. "My paws are aching," she complained, limping towards the apprentices den. Just as she was about to pad into the den, she paused. "I'm going to be all alone," she whimpered.

Panthershade flattened his ears to his head. As he opened his mouth to speak, Branchtail interrupted him. "I'll sleep in there with you," the young tom offered.

Mistlepaw's eyes gleamed. "Really? Thank you." She then followed Branchtail over to Hailstep's den to gather moss. As Panthershade watched them go, he turned and padded in the direction of his own den.

Since so many cats had died in the past few moons, the den was nearly empty. Just as he was about to shut his eyes, he heard the den entrance rustle. Looking up, Panthershade saw Blizzard was standing there.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she wondered.

He shook his head. "I think I'm going to take a nap, and then eat when I wake up."

"There might not be anything when you wake up. Redstorm is out there eating like a pig!" Blizzard laughed, before taking a seat next to him. Suddenly she grew serious. "I have good news," she meowed.

"What is it?" Panthershade asked.

"I'm expecting kits!" she exclaimed, her green eyes sparkling with happiness.

"A-already?! But we've only been mates for a moon." The gray tom sat there for a few moments, shocked. He then stared down at Blizzard's belly, which now that he noticed, seemed more plump.

"Aren't you happy?" she demanded, flattening her ears to her head.

His blue eyes widened. "Of course. I just didn't think we would have kits so soon is all, especially since you said you wanted to take things slow." Standing up, he gave her a nuzzle. "This is the best news I've ever heard in seasons."

"How many do you think we'll have?" Blizzard questioned as she pressed against him. "And do you think they'll be toms or she-kits?"

"I'll be happy with whatever we have," he told her, breathing in her scent.

"I want she-kits, to be honest," Blizzard meowed. "However, I suppose a little tom kit would be wonderful too."

As they sat there talking about their new kits, Panthershade's heart swelled with pride. _Perhaps things are going to change for the better?_

* * *

"Push!" Hailstep ordered as he placed his paw on Blizzard's swollen stomach.

The white she-cat let out a blood-chilling scream, before pushing. At first, nothing happened, which caused Panthershade's heart to sink. "Is it stuck?" he asked slowly. Before Hailstep could answer, a small bundle slid out onto the ground. It was covered in a bloody sack, which the medicine cat pulled off.

"Congratulations! It's a she-kit," Hailstep purred as he pushed the new kit over to Blizzard's side. The white queen stared down at her daughter in awe, before covering her in licks.

"There's only one?" Thornkit gasped, her eyes round with shock.

"Thornkit, Briarkit, come away from there. Blizzard has just been through a lot, and she doesn't need you to disturb her," Thrushfeather ordered.

The two kits hesitated for a moment, before padding over to their mother's side. As Panthershade watched them, he couldn't help but let out a _mrrow_ of amusement. _Before long, my daughter will be getting into mischief._

"What do you think we should name her?" Blizzard asked softly, her eyes drooping slightly.

As Panthershade stared down at his daughter, he noticed how much she resembled his father. She was dark gray, with a small build. "She looks just like Crowfeather," he breathed in astonishment. Slowly, he leaned down to lick her. As he did this, she let out a high pitched wail. "Don't cry, little one!" Panthershade begged.

Blizzard purred. "I think Crowkit would be cute for her," she commented.

"We don't have to name her after my father," Panthershade insisted. "You can name her whatever you want!"

"I think Crowkit fits her," Thornkit murmured as she peered over Blizzard's side.

"Thornkit, what did I just tell you?" Thurshfeather snapped. Thornkit flattened her ears to her head, before scampering back over to her mother.

"I agree," Blizzard spoke. "Crowkit fits her perfectly." As Crowkit nursed, Blizzard wrapped her tail over her new daughter's back. "Isn't she perfect, Panthershade?"

He nodded. "She's darling." When he noticed how tired Blizzard was, he began to back out of the den. "I promise I'll come visit you later, my love. Take care of our little one."

Blizzard nodded her head, before closing her eyes to go to sleep. As Panthershade padded out of the den, he was greeted by Mistlepaw.

"Did Blizzard have her kits yet?" the young apprentice wondered.

Panthershade nodded. "She's given birth to one she-kit, whom we've decided to name Crowkit. She's absolutely adorable..." he trailed off, to happy to speak.

Mistlepaw smiled at him, before frowning. "Now that you have Crowkit, you won't forget about me, will you? Like I won't have to get another mentor?"

"Absolutely not! I'll always have time to train you," Panthershade promised.

The dark brown she-cat blinked happily. "That's good, because you're an amazing mentor. I don't think I would like to be trained by any other cat than you." Suddenly, her eyes widened. "If I'm a warrior by the time Crowkit reaches six moons, do you think I could train her?"

He let out a chuckle. "We'll see," he meowed. "We'll see."

* * *

 **This chapter may seem rushed due to all of the time skips, but it is supposed to be that way. As this book wraps up, I wanted to show you the most important moments of Panthershade's life, as this is the last chapter we will see from him. Also, it was very hard for me to chose who lived or died. I really liked all of those cats, so it was really tough. I especially had a hard time letting go of Squirrelflight and Nettlebreeze, but these sort of things had to be done. And unless there is a sequel to this story (which I doubt, however I am thinking about writing a one-shot) the fate of the Clans is up to you: Will they live, or will nature continue to take it's course and claim more cats? And in case anyone was wondering, here are the allegiances:**

 **Leader:** Bramblestar - very old, dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 **Deputy:** Pinenose - black she-cat

 **Medicine cat:** Hailstep - large gray tom

 **Warriors: (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Dovewing - gray she-cat with blue eyes

Redstorm - dark ginger tom

Branchtail - fluffy gray tom

Dapplecloud - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Jaggedclaw - brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Featherpool - gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Mudwhisker - dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Panthershade - dark gray tom with blue eyes

 **Apprentice:** Mistlepaw

Boulderstripe - large gray tom

Honeysplash - pale ginger she-cat

Sunheart - golden tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes

 **Apprentices: (cats older than six moons in training to become warriors)**

Mistlepaw - dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Queens: (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)**

Thrushfeather - dark brown tabby she-cat. Mother of Redstorm's kits, Thornkit (torbie she-kit) and Briarkit (dark brown tom).

Blizzard - pure white she-cat with green eyes. Mother of Panthershade's kit, Crowkit (lithe dark gray she-kit).


	35. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

A cool evening breeze rustled the undergrowth, and in the distance the last birds of the day were chirping.

Grunting, Viperstrike struggled to re position herself in her nest. The young she-cat was going into labor, causing her body to ache like never before. As the labor progressed, the pain became almost unbearable.

As another contraction passed, her yellow eyes widened in pain. Howling, she began to rip at the moss and bracken under her. Finally, the pain eased up for a moment, allowing her to catch her breath. She had been at this for hours now, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take. "I'm so tired," she rasped, resting her head on the ground.

"It won't be long now," Shadow whispered, giving her a lick on the forehead. "You're doing wonderfully."

Viperstrike blinked up at him, gratefully. Suddenly, her stomach spasmed with another contraction. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pushed with all of her might. Finally, she felt a small bundle laying on the ground beside her. As Shadow worked to free their kit from the sack, Viperstrike anxiously looked over at him.

"It's a tom!" Shadow purred, his eyes gleaming. Slowly, he lifted the kit up in his jaws and placed it beside Viperstrike. As she stared down at her son, her heart filled with pride. The little tom kit was solid black, just like she was. _He's so small,_ she thought, resting her tail ove her new kitten.

Her moment of peace was interrupted by another painful contraction. Once again, she pushed, this time giving birth to a small dark brown she-kit. "She looks just like you," the queen murmured as Shadow placed her beside her brother.

Finally around moonhigh, Viperstrike gave birth to one last kit. "Another she-kit," Shadow commented. As he sat back, he stared at his kits with pride and joy. "I can't believe these tiny things are ours!"

Viperstrike feebly lifted her head up and nodded. "What are we going to name them?" she whispered, eyeing her new kits. Two of them were black, and the other was a dark tabby like Shadow.

"I was thinking this one could be called Rain." Shadow flicked his tail towards the dark tabby she-kit. "And maybe this one could be called Night?" he suggested, pointing towards the black tom.

"I like the name Storm for the last one," Viperstrike put in, glancing at the black she-kit.

"Rain, Night and Storm," Shadow whispered, purring loudly. "They're going to be the greatest cats the forest has ever seen."

As Viperstrike stared at her kittens, she felt her eyes droop with fatigue. Shadow must have noticed for he meowed, "You get some sleep while I go hunting." He leaned forward to give her another lick on the forehead, before backing out of the den. Before he was even completely out of the den, Viperstrike slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

The scent of fresh-kill and the cries of her kits awoke Viperstrike the next morning. Slowly, she sat up in her nest. A few mouse-lengths in front of her, sat a plump pigeon. Licking her lips, she began to devour the bird. Once it was gone, she sat back and groomed her pelt. With each movement, her body ached.

"I see you were hungry," Shadow laughed as he sat up in his own nest.

"Giving birth gives you quite the appetite," Viperstrike sighed, before curling back up around her kits. Night and Storm quickly snuggled up to her stomach, while Rain continued to sleep. "And I guess being born gives you quite the appetite too. These little guys eat so much!"

"Yeah, they do," he agreed.

As Viperstrike watched her kits eat, she began to look them over. _They're so small and fragile,_ she noticed. The she-cat then let out a purr of amusement as she stared at their little ears. They hadn't opened yet, so they were pressed against the kittens heads. "They have cute ears," she said.

Shadow nodded in agreement. "Their ears remind me of little mice." Suddenly, his expression changed. "Are you going to take them back to the Clans?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Viperstrike flattened her ears to her head. "Maybe to visit..." she trailed off, unsure if she would even do that. _I told Panthershade I would visit frequently, but I haven't gone back once. For all I know, he could be dead._ The thought of Panthershade being dead made her stomach churn nervously. _Who else is dead?_

"I'm sorry I brought it up," Shadow apologized, giving her a lick on the forehead.

"It's fine," she sighed, laying her head down.

* * *

It had been two weeks since her kittens had been born. Since then, they had grown a lot and their eyes were beginning to open. "Night is opening his eyes!" Viperstrike exclaimed, gently picking her son up by the scruff.

As Shadow looked closer, he let out a happy purr. "What about the other two?" he asked. "Are they opening their eyes yet?"

Viperstrike set Night down, before looking over her daughters. "Rain has one eye open, and the corner of Storm's left eye is opening slightly. I imagine by the end of the week, all three of them will have their eyes open." _They're growing so fast!_ The idea of her kits growing bigger made Viperstrike feel anxious. She liked how small and helpless they were right now. As they got bigger, it would be hard to care for them all.

As the kits grew hungry, they slowly pulled themselves towards her stomach. As they looked for a spot to eat, Rain and Night tried to push each other out of the way. In the end, Rain gave her brother a hefty shove, which caused him to tumble back. As he hit the ground, Night let out loud wails.

"There's enough milk for everyone," Viperstrike promised, nudging him back towards her belly. Finally, Night found a spot of his own and began to suckle.

"One day they're not going to need me anymore," she whispered sadly.

"They'll always need you, in one way or another," Shadow told her, pressing against her.

"I know, but things won't be the same when they get older. They'll be able to provide for themselves..." the queen trailed off, to upset to continue.

"And that's a good thing," Shadow insisted. "It shows that we did our best to raise them, and now it's their turn to have their own kits. Besides, they won't be able to provide for themselves for a long time now. Just cherish these moments while they last."

"You're right," she rasped, nuzzling him. _I'm so lucky,_ she thought.

* * *

"It's time to come inside!" Viperstrike yowled as she stared at her three kits. Today had been their first day outside, and they were all thrilled.

"Can we just have five more minutes?" Rain begged, her fluffy tail swishing back and forth.

"I'm afraid not," the queen said, glancing up at the darkening sky. "It's going to rain soon, and I don't want you three to get wet."

The three kits pouted for a few minutes, before following their mother back into the safety of their den. Since their birth, Shadow had worked hard to keep the holly tree they called home safe and reinforced.

As Viperstrike lay down to feed the kits, she noticed they were extremely restless. "Don't be too sad," she spoke. "Tomorrow you can go back outside and play."

"I don't want to wait for tomorrow!" Storm whined. "I want to go back outside now. Besides, I don't care if I get wet. I like to play in the rain!"

"How would you know? You've never been outside in the rain before," Night argued.

"Well, I imagine I'd like it," Storm replied, sticking her nose into the air.

As the three kits sat there arguing, Viperstrike wondered what she could do to distract them. The den was too small for the four of them to play, and she didn't feel like getting pricked with their tiny thorn sharp claws. _Perhaps I should tell them a story?_ She thought. _But what would keep their attention for long enough?_

Suddenly, an idea popped into the young mother's head. "I have an idea. How about I tell you three a story?"

"Stories are boring," Night mewed. "I want to play tag!"

"I want to play tag, too!" Rain chirped, her eyes gleaming. "Or maybe you could give us a badger ride?"

Viperstrike shook her head. "You'll like this story," she promised, flicking her tail towards the nest. "Come lay down with me, and I'll tell it to you."

The three kits scampered over to their mother's side, before curling up. They then looked up at her excitedly, wondering what the story would be about.

"Cold gray light rippled over the floor of a cave so vast that its roof was lost in shadows. An endless screen of water fell across the entrance, its sound echoing from the rocks..." Viperstrike continued on, recalling how the Clans had first started. As the days continued, her story expanded. As more time passed, the more history Viperstrike covered. She told her little ones every story she could think of, from the first battle at fourtrees, all the way to the death of Firestar and everything beyond. While part of the story was exaggerated to keep their attention, the kits didn't seem to notice or mind. Instead, they sat there, listening in awe.

 _I may not be in a Clan anymore, but my time spent with them will never be forgotten._

* * *

 **This is the last chapter! *wipes tears* Like I said before, I am sad to see the end of this story, but at the same time I'm happy. I really enjoyed writing this story, and creating and building the characters. I hope that everyone who reads this story will feel the same way. Also, thank you for all of the reviews, for both this story and Rising Storm. I never imagined that I would get so many reviews on my stories, so this really amazes me.**

 **As for a sequel, I honestly don't know. I am thinking about writing one, but at this point in time I just don't have a plot in mind, so I don't think it's necessary. I'm also pretty content with the way this book ended, considering Viperstrike ended up telling her kits the entire Warriors series. I feel like that would be a good way to wrap up this AU series. However, I will say keep an eye on me. I have many other story ideas in mind, so like I said, keep an eye out if you're interested.**

 **Thank you for all of your support. Love, Twisterheart. :)**


End file.
